Uptake, Sustainability And Impact Of Scaling Up Point-of-care Testing For Sexually Transmissible Infections In Remote And Regional Aboriginal Communities
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,461,788.00
Summary
Aboriginal youth experience unacceptably high rates of curable sexually transmissible infections (STI). Coverage of testing and treatment is insufficient for disease control but could be enhanced via point-of-care (POC) testing. We have been trialling a highly accurate STI/POC diagnostic in the TTANGO (Test, Treat ANd GO) trial. The TTANGO2 partnership will assess the long-term uptake, sustainability and impact of POC testing in 20 Aboriginal health services in regional/remote WA over 5 years.
Enhanced Prevention And Control Of Sexually Transmitted Infections
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$782,370.00
Summary
The entire developed world is witnessing dramatic increases in bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs), the likes of which have not been seen since prior to the emergence of the HIV epidemic in the 1980s. My vision is to reduce the burden of STIs by identifying innovative, cost-effective approaches to STI prevention and management that are acceptable to the populations affected (including healthcare workers and people are risk of STIs) and able to be implemented on a broad scale.
Should Australia Introduce A National Chlamydia Testing Program? Evaluation Of A Randomised Controlled Trial
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$518,510.00
Summary
Chlamydia is a very common sexually transmissible infection that can lead to infertility in women. About 4% of young adults have it, yet most are unaware they have it. Chlamydia is easy to diagnose and treat, but it is not known whether annual testing can reduce its spread. Over1 million tests are conducted each year in general practice, costing the government $30 million. This evaluation of a well-established trial of chlamydia testing in young adults will resolve the debate of whether annual t ....Chlamydia is a very common sexually transmissible infection that can lead to infertility in women. About 4% of young adults have it, yet most are unaware they have it. Chlamydia is easy to diagnose and treat, but it is not known whether annual testing can reduce its spread. Over1 million tests are conducted each year in general practice, costing the government $30 million. This evaluation of a well-established trial of chlamydia testing in young adults will resolve the debate of whether annual testing works and is a good use of money.Read moreRead less
The Prevention And Control Of Sexually Transmitted Infections In Australia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$590,785.00
Summary
The increasing sexually transmitted infection diagnoses in Australia have considerable public health implications and there are still many questions about the most effective way to prevent and control their transmission. The goal of my fellowship is to build on my existing program of research and generate new evidence to further our understanding of the epidemiology of these infections and identify the most effective ways for their prevention and control.
Prevention Of Sexually Transmissible Infections In Australia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$415,218.00
Summary
Australians experience a substantial burden of health and social consequences related to sexually transmissible infections (STIs). The Career Development Fellowship will enable me to conduct research to improve sexual health of people at risk of STIs, through evaluating new strategies that increase the accessibility of STI testing; information technology to improve the efficiency of health services; and a better understanding of the impact of social media on young people’s sexual health.
An Epidemic Of Vulvar Cancer In Young Women: Investigating The Role Of Human Papillomavirus And Genetic Susceptibility
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$489,706.00
Summary
Vulvar cancer is a rare disease; in 1993-1997 the age-adjusted incidence rate in Australia was 1.4 per 100,000 women (average 207 cases per year), similar to the incidence in most other countries. An epidemic of cases of vulvar cancer has been identified in younger Indigenous women living in remote communities in the Northern Territory (NT). Vulvar cancer is over fifty times more common in women aged less than 50 years in these communities than in the total Australian population. Women in these ....Vulvar cancer is a rare disease; in 1993-1997 the age-adjusted incidence rate in Australia was 1.4 per 100,000 women (average 207 cases per year), similar to the incidence in most other countries. An epidemic of cases of vulvar cancer has been identified in younger Indigenous women living in remote communities in the Northern Territory (NT). Vulvar cancer is over fifty times more common in women aged less than 50 years in these communities than in the total Australian population. Women in these communities also experience higher rates of high-grade Vulvar Intraepithelial Neoplasia (a pre-cursor to vulvar cancer), than elsewhere in the NT. Vulvar cancer is usually much more common in older women than younger women. In young women vulvar cancer and VIN are thought to be caused by infection with cancer causing strains of human papillomavirus (HPV), particularly the strain known as HPV16. In older women, vulvar cancer is not caused by HPV. In the remote communities in the NT, vulvar cancer is occurring almost entirely in young women, the amount of cancer occurring in older women in these communities is similar to the amount expected in the total Australian population. This project will investigate the cause of this epidemic of vulvar cancer and high-grade VIN. It will investigate whether HPV16 is more prevalent in these communities than elsewhere in Australia; whether there is a variant strain of HPV16 in these communites that is more virulent at causing cancer, and whether the disease occurs more commonly in families, which would mean that women in these communities inherit an increased susceptibility to vulvar cancer and VIN. This project will help to increase our understanding of vulvar cancer and VIN, help to control this epidemic, and inform whether the new HPV vaccines may be effective in preventing vulvar cancer in these communities.Read moreRead less