Latest data shows Tasmanians are being forced to wait up to four weeks for a sexual health clinic appointment which is putting pressure on a perilous situation for sexual transmitted infection (STI) rates across the state.
Dr Mitchell Tanner, Medical Director at Stigma Health said "It's clear that face-to-face appointments cannot be the only answer for sexual health testing and more people need to be aware that they can access these services online and more efficiently through providers like Stigma Health. Access to STI testing and sexual health services in a non-judgemental and online environment is critical to the uplift of testing rates."
Data released in the latest Kirby Report* pointed to significant increases in STIs across Tasmania, notably:
Infectious syphilis seeing a 244% increase in 2022, off the back of a steady rate since 2017.
Chlamydia rates are at their highest since 2016.
Gonorrhoea is the highest ever recorded in the last 10 years of the Kirby Report.
Cameron Brown, CEO of TasCahrd echoed Dr Tanner's concerns, saying "We only have two major sexual health clinics in the state and this is causing a backlog of appointments that is only adding to community safety concerns. TasCahrd is a huge advocate for early detection to improve sexual health by enabling the opportunity for early intervention."
The Federal Government's latest STI awareness campaign stopped short of bringing awareness to online services.
"Stigma Health was encouraged to see the Government's latest campaign, however knowing that seeing a doctor face-to-face is a huge turn-off for young people accessing testing, promoting the fact that online services were available should've been a crucial part of the campaign" Dr Tanner explained.
Stigma Health offers comprehensive testing as recommended by the Australian STI Management Guidelines, with a bulk-bill option. Access is available through www.stigmahealth.com or via the Stigma Health app.
