Sex in the suburbs

Many suburban sexual health clinics exist in Australasia. However, sexual health research has hitherto been restricted to populations from major metropolitan centres.

To describe the demographic, sexual characteristics and presenting diagnoses of 6521 new patients attending a sexual health clinic in the western suburbs of Sydney (New South Wales).

Patients originated from over 50 different countries. Postcode analysis suggested the clinic sample was representative of the socioeconomic distribution of the area, but there were notable ethnic disparities. The classic bacterial sexually transmitted infections constituted only a small proportion of presentations, with asymptomatic infections and those requiring complex therapies more commonly encountered. This has resource implications for general practitioners and specialist clinics alike. Improved liaison between specialist sexual health clinics and GPs, together with a raised awareness of sexual health services in general, has the potential to significantly improve overall public health.