Sexually transmitted infections and use of sexual health services among young Australian women: Women's Health Australia study

Our objective was to examine associations between self-reported sexually tr ansmitted infections (STIs) and sociodemographic, lifestyle, health status, health service use and quality of life factors among young Australian wome n; and their use of family planning and sexual health clinics and associati ons with health, demographic and psychosocial factors. The study sample comprised 14,762 women aged 18-23 years who participated i n the mailed baseline survey for the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women 's Health, conducted in 1996. The main outcome measures are self report of ever being diagnosed by a doctor with an STI, including chlamydia, genital herpes, genital warts or other STIs, and use of family planning and sexual health clinics. The self-reported incidence of STI was 1.7% for chlamydia, 1.1% genital her pes, 3.1% genital warts, and 2.1% other STIs. There was a large number of d emographic, health behaviour, psychosocial and health service use factors s ignificantly and independently associated with reports of having had each S TI. Factors independently associated with use of family planning clinic inc luded unemployment, current smoking, having had a Pap smear less than 2 yea rs ago, not having ancillary health insurance, having consulted a hospital doctor and having higher stress and life events score. Factors independentl y associated with use of a sexual health clinic included younger age, lower occupation status, being a current or ex-smoker, being a binge drinker, ha ving had a Pap smear, having consulted a hospital doctor, having poorer men tal health and having higher life events score. This study reports interesting correlates of having an STI among young Aust ralian women aged 18-23. The longitudinal nature of this study provides the opportunity to explore the long-term health and gynaecological outcomes of having STIs during young adulthood.