The aim of this review was to describe the characteristics of men who have sex with men (MSM) accessing both hospital and community-based sexual health services in the Perth metropolitan area and assess the acceptability of these services to the MSM who access them. The majority of new HIV diagnoses in Australia are in gay, bisexual, and other (MSM). Providing accessible, appropriate and acceptable sexual health services is essential as a significant proportion of MSM are not testing for HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) at the recommended frequency (at least once per year for sexually active MSM, and more often for higher risk men). Recognised barriers to testing include not having enough time to test and difficulty getting an appointment.
In July 2010, a new community-based clinical service employing peer workers targeting gay and bisexual men opened in West Perth. M Clinic, managed by the Western Australian AIDS Council (WAAC), complements traditional hospital-based sexual health services already operating in Perth and Fremantle. Until this project, no external evaluation of acceptability among MSM clients involving all of these services had been undertaken. The report was authored by Damian Conway, Martin Holt, Michael Atkinson, Lewis Marshall, Jenny McCloskey, Patricia Langdon, Denton Callander and Rebecca Guy of the Kirby Institute. (APO 30/7/13)
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