Welcome to the Australasian Sexual Health & HIV Nurses Association Inc.

What's New

 

Results of the 4th National Survey of Australian Secondary Students and Sexual Health 2008

The Fourth National Survey of Secondary Students and Sexual Health involved nearly 3,000 Year 10 and Year 12 students from more than 100 secondary schools from the Government, Catholic and Independent school systems and from every jurisdiction in Australia. The key findings are arranged under the key themes of knowledge, behaviour and health and can be found on

Click on Survey results .

Some results include:

• HIV knowledge remains relatively high and comparable to the levels found in 2002.

* Marked improvement in student sexually transmissible infection (STI) knowledge between 2002 and 2008 studies.

• Despite generally poor student knowledge of chlamydia, knowledge of this infection has nonetheless improved significantly since 2002.

• Hepatitis A, B and C knowledge remains relatively poor.

• Human papillomavirus (HPV) knowledge was very poor.

• Cervical cancer knowledge was measured for the first time in the 2008 study and knowledge was generally poor.

• No gender differences in HIV knowledge, however young women demonstrated better knowledge of STIs, HPV, cervical cancer and hepatitis.

• The majority of students (78%) have experienced some form of sexual activity.

• Over one quarter of year 10 students and just over half of year 12 students had experienced sexual intercourse.

• In 2002 35% of students reported having sexual intercourse with this proportion increasing to 40% in 2008.

• Student condom use has remained stable between 2002 and 2008 surveys as 69% reported using a condom the last time they had sex.

• Between 2002 and 2008 surveys the proportion of students reporting three or more sexual partners increased from 20% to 30%.

• Just under half the students surveyed had experienced oral sex.

 

Congratulations to Heather Woods first Sexual Health Nurse Practitioner in South Australia 

 

Heather started a Masters in Nursing (Nurse Practitioner) in 2003 through Uni SA and graduated in 2006.  Heather said, 'it took a long time to be endorsed as a Nurse Practitioner due to organisational circumstances, however I encourage anyone who has any ambition in this area to pursue your dreams and not be deterred by those who put obstacles in your path'.  Heather has worked as a community health nurse since 1977 (in TB services and later in school health), then transferred into the specialist field of Youth Health Nursing, which required training in Sexual and Reproductive Health.  Heather now works as Clinical Practice Consultant in youth health (community clinics and in juvenile justice) in Adelaide and is currently the Coordinator for ASHHNA in South Australia as well as being the secretary of the Australian College of Nurse Practitioners (SA Chapter).

 

Congratulations to the successful ASHHNA/CSL scholarship applicants

Congratulations to Margot Kingston, Christine Remington and Debbie Morgan. Click on the links to read more about the confereenes they are attending on the ASHHNA Scholarships page.

 

ASHHNA/ ASHM Affiliate News

 

Sign up now to become an ASHM Affiliate. It comes with your ASHHNA membership and you get lots of great benefits.

Find out more www.ashhna.org.au/affiliates.html

 

National Strategies for Blood Borne Viruses and Sexually Transmissible Infections 2010

 

The Australian Health Ministers’ Conference have endorsed five new national strategies for blood borne viruses (BBVs) and sexually transmissible infections (STIs).  For the next three years, these documents will guide policies in relation to the prevention, testing, treatment and more in relation to BBVs and STIs. The documents were developed in a spirit of cooperation with significant contributions from community stakeholders, research organisations, medical professionals and state and territory health departments.

The five BBVs & STI Strategies can be accessed here by clicking on any of the following documents:

• The Sixth National HIV Strategy; (PDF 110 KB)
• The First National Hepatitis B Strategy; (PDF 81 KB)
• The Second National Sexually Transmissible Infections Strategy; (PDF 97 KB)
• The Third National Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Strategy; (PDF 105) and
• The Third National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Blood Borne Viruses and Sexually Transmissible Infections Strategy. (PDF 133 KB)

 

Sexual Health and HIV Conference, Sydney 2010

 

The 2010 Australasian Sexual Health Conference (18-20 October) will be held back-to-back with the Australasian HIV/AIDS Conference (20-22 October).  Come and join ASHHNA members and consider submitting a poster or presentation, for more information .

 

The ASHHNA Knowledge Network

 

Have you joined the ASHHNA Knowledge Network? The email list is a great way to connect with your colleagues and share information. It is open to all ASHHNA members. For joining information contact Jennifer Walsh to get connected.

This is your site so feel free to let us know what you would like to see and read on the site.