The Australian Health Ministers’ Conference (22 April 2010), all states and territories along with the Commonwealth have endorsed the five new national strategies for blood-borne viruses (BBVs) and sexually transmissible infections (STIs). These new strategies will guide policies in relation to prevention, testing, management and treatment of BBVs and STIs for the next three years. The five strategies are:
· The Sixth National HIV Strategy;
· The First National Hepatitis B Strategy;
· The Second National Sexually Transmissible Infections Strategy;
· The Third National Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Strategy; and
· The Third National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Blood Borne Viruses and Sexually Transmissible Infections Strategy.
Obtain from Department of Health and Ageing website at: http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/ohp-national-strategies-2010
Australasian Society for HIV Medicine
ASHM is the peak Australasian organisation representing the medical and health sector in HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis and related areas
NSW STI Programs Unit
The NSW STI Program Unit offers a great resource and clearing house for STI information, and recently published the NSW Sexual Health Standard Operating Procedures Manual 2009. This manual, developed by senior sexual health nurses in NSW, offers detailed procedual information about clinical sexual health care in NSW and it is designed to be adapted a variety of clinical settings, and can be accessed on http://www.stipu.nsw.gov.au/resources.html