Sexual Health

Wurli Wurlinjang recognises that sexually transmissible infections (STIs) such as chlamydia, syphilis, gonorrhoea, and hepatitis B, and blood borne viruses (BBV) such as hepatitis C, hepatitis B, and HIV, (hepatitis B is recognised as both STIs and BBV), are significant public health issues for Australian people at large, but that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are particularly vulnerable due to their generally poorer health.

With significant funding from the Federal Government through the Office of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health, Wurli Wurlinjang provides a full range of health services which target sexual health issues through a dedicated Sexual Health Program. The program is staffed by two specialist Aboriginal Health Workers, ensuring services are culturally appropriate to gender sensitivities.

Broadly, our services focus on an underlying principal of prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and support, and include:

• Screening for disease;
• Providing access to prevention tools and hardware;
• Diagnosis and early detection using client recall and reminder systems;
• Contact tracing;
• Treatment and referral;
• Health promotion and education programs; and
• Minimising the barriers to health care access.

We are committed to continuing to provide and develop these services to assist in the achievement of the goal of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus Strategy 2005 – 2008 to “reduce the transmission of and morbidity caused by HIV/AIDS, STIs and BBV in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community and to minimise the social and personal impacts of these infections.”