PMID- 20152095
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20100503
LR  - 20211203
IS  - 1448-5028 (Print)
IS  - 1448-5028 (Linking)
VI  - 7
IP  - 1
DP  - 2010 Mar
TI  - Aboriginal health worker screening for sexually transmissible infections and 
      blood-borne viruses in a rural Australian juvenile correctional facility.
PG  - 44-8
LID - 10.1071/SH09035 [doi]
AB  - INTRODUCTION: In Australia, Aboriginal youth are disproportionately represented 
      in juvenile detention centres. We assessed the prevalence of sexually 
      transmissible infections (STIs) and blood-borne viruses (BBVs) identified by an 
      Aboriginal Health Worker (AHW)-led screening program delivered to male detainees 
      of a rural juvenile detention centre. METHODS: A retrospective review of first 
      screening visit data was performed. Demographic and behavioural data were 
      collected and the prevalence of STI/BBV was assessed. RESULTS: Over a 4-year 
      period to November 2004, 101 screens on new medium-to-long-term detainees were 
      performed. The median age of participants was 17 years (range 14-20) and 87% were 
      Aboriginal. Most reported multiple lifetime sexual partners (mean 14, range 0-60) 
      and a minority had used a condom for the last episode of vaginal intercourse. 
      Injecting drug use and non-professional tattoos or piercings were both reported 
      by over one-third of participants, with over 80% reporting previous 
      incarceration. One-quarter of those screened were newly diagnosed with one or 
      more STI/BBV. The most common infection identified was urethral chlamydia 
      (prevalence 16.3%, 95% confidence interval 10.0-25.5%), although the prevalence 
      of newly diagnosed syphilis, hepatitis B and hepatitis C were each over 5%. Many 
      participants remained susceptible to hepatitis B. CONCLUSION: An AHW-led STI/BBV 
      screening program identified a large number of asymptomatic and previously 
      undiagnosed infections in this group of young male detainees. Such an education 
      and screening program using skilled Aboriginal staff not affiliated with the 
      correctional system could have a substantial impact on the prevalence of STI/BBV 
      among juvenile detainees.
FAU - Templeton, David J
AU  - Templeton DJ
AD  - Dubbo Sexual Health Clinic, Greater Western Area Health Service, Dubbo, NSW, 
      Australia. dtempleton@nchecr.unsw.edu.au
FAU - Tyson, Beverley A
AU  - Tyson BA
FAU - Meharg, Joel P
AU  - Meharg JP
FAU - Habgood, Katalin E
AU  - Habgood KE
FAU - Bullen, Patricia M
AU  - Bullen PM
FAU - Malek, Sharafat
AU  - Malek S
FAU - McLean, Rick
AU  - McLean R
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
PL  - Australia
TA  - Sex Health
JT  - Sexual health
JID - 101242667
SB  - IM
MH  - Adolescent
MH  - Blood-Borne Pathogens/*isolation & purification
MH  - Community Health Services/statistics & numerical data
MH  - Female
MH  - Health Services, Indigenous/statistics & numerical data
MH  - Humans
MH  - Male
MH  - Mass Screening/statistics & numerical data
MH  - Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander/*statistics & numerical data
MH  - Prevalence
MH  - Prisoners/*statistics & numerical data
MH  - Retrospective Studies
MH  - Risk Factors
MH  - Rural Population/statistics & numerical data
MH  - Sexually Transmitted Diseases/diagnosis/*ethnology/*transmission/virology
MH  - Virus Diseases/*ethnology/*transmission
MH  - Western Australia/epidemiology
MH  - Young Adult
EDAT- 2010/02/16 06:00
MHDA- 2010/05/04 06:00
CRDT- 2010/02/16 06:00
PHST- 2009/03/30 00:00 [received]
PHST- 2009/10/19 00:00 [accepted]
PHST- 2010/02/16 06:00 [entrez]
PHST- 2010/02/16 06:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2010/05/04 06:00 [medline]
AID - SH09035 [pii]
AID - 10.1071/SH09035 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Sex Health. 2010 Mar;7(1):44-8. doi: 10.1071/SH09035.