COVID-19, lockdowns, and the mental wellbeing of LGBTQ people in Australia.

LGBTQ communities around the world entered the COVID-19 pandemic with generally high rates of poor mental health and faced additional challenges including stigma, discrimination, and barriers to care. This study sample was drawn from a survey of 3135 LGBTQ adults residing in Australia during the pandemic. Regression analysis was used to explore individual differences in psychological distress and perceived change in mental wellbeing since the onset of the pandemic as well as the impact of lockdowns, by taking advantage of a natural experiment comparing the states that experienced more extensive lockdowns (Victoria and New South Wales) to the rest of Australia.

A High Threshold of Biotherapeutic Aggregate Numbers is Needed to Induce an Immunogenic Response In Vitro, In Vivo, and in the Clinic.

Background And Purpose: There is concern that subvisible aggregates in biotherapeutic drug products pose a risk to patient safety. We investigated the threshold of biotherapeutic aggregates needed to induce immunogenic responses.

Methods And Results: Highly aggregated samples were tested in cell-based assays and induced cellular responses in a manner that depended on the number of particles.

Typologies of alcohol and other drug-related risk among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (trans) and queer adults.

Introduction: Prevalence and patterns of alcohol and other drug (AOD) use among specific lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (trans) and queer (LGBTQ+) subpopulations are well established. However, patterns of substance-related risk have been less thoroughly explored. This study aimed to determine typologies AOD risk among LGBTQ+ adults in Australia.

Factors Associated With Experiences of Harassment or Abuse Among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer, and Asexual Young People With Disability in Australia.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, and asexual (LGBTQA+) young people with disability are known to experience higher rates of harassment or abuse than LGBTQA+ young people without disability. This study focused on participants in Australia and identified factors associated with harassment or abuse among LGBTQA+ adolescents and young adults who reported a disability as well as associations with mental health outcomes. Analyses were conducted from a national survey that included 2,500 LGBTQA+ people who reported a disability and were aged 14 to 21 years.

Cervical screening among LGBTQ people: how affirming services may aid in achieving cervical cancer elimination targets.

To reach cervical cancer elimination targets it is necessary to increase screening rates among underserved populations such as LGBTQ communities. This paper examines rates of attendance and associated factors of cervical screening in LGBTQ communities. Data from 2,424 people aged 25 to 74 years and assigned female at birth were drawn from an online national Australian survey of LGBTQ adults.

The influence of care continuity and disclosure of sexual orientation in general practice on lesbian, bi+ and queer cisgender women's engagement with mental health services.

Background: Lesbian, bisexual+ and queer (LBQ+) cisgender women have considerable unmet mental health needs. The aims of this study were to examine LBQ+ cisgender women's prior engagement with general practitioners (GPs), and how this relationship shaped their mental health service use.

Method: Data from 2707 cisgender LBQ+ women were drawn from a national survey of adults who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex, queer or questioning, asexual and other diverse sexuality and gender identities (LGBTIQA+) in Australia.

Affirming educational and workplace settings are associated with positive mental health and happiness outcomes for LGBTQA + youth in Australia.

Background: Affirming socio-cultural settings are essential for protecting the mental health and wellbeing of lesbian, bisexual or pansexual, trans and gender diverse, asexual and queer (LGBTQA +) youth. However, limited research has explored the role of affirming educational and workplace settings, as reported by LGBTQA + youth themselves, with respect to their mental health and wellbeing. Moreover, existing research maintains a focus on mitigating poor mental health outcomes, with little attention to positive wellbeing outcomes among LGBTQA + youth.

Community connection is associated with lower psychological distress for sexual minority women who view community connection positively.

We examined factors associated with sexual minority women's evaluations of belonging to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) community in Australia, and assessed whether a positive view of community participation impacted levels of psychological distress. 2424 cisgender sexual minority women participated in a national, online, cross-sectional survey of LGBTIQ adult Australians' health and well-being. Multivariable regression analyses were conducted to investigate sociodemographic factors associated with sexual minority women's belonging to the LGBTQ community, feelings towards community connection, and associations between community connection and recent psychological distress.

Factors associated with experiences of abuse among lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, and asexual (LGBTQA+) adults with disability in Australia.

Background: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, and asexual (LGBTQA+) people with disability report greater levels of abuse than those without disability.

Objective: This study sought to further understand these experiences by examining factors associated with experiences of abuse among LGBTQA+ adults who reported a disability in Australia.

Methods: A national survey was conducted that included 2629 LGBTQA+ people who reported a disability aged 18 years and older, with data collected on experiences of verbal abuse, sexual assault, and social exclusion in the past 12 months as well as demographic characteristics.

Illicit drug use among lesbian, gay, bisexual, pansexual, trans and gender diverse, queer and asexual young people in Australia: Intersections and associated outcomes.

Introduction: High rates of illicit drug use have been reported among gay and bisexual young men, however limited research has examined patterns of drug use among the broader population of lesbian, pansexual, trans and gender diverse, asexual and queer (LGBTQA) young people. We examined factors associated with illicit drug use in the past 6 months and lifetime experiences of self-reported concern with drug use among LGBTQA youth in Australia.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted involving 6418 LGBTQA participants aged 14-21 years, 5914 of whom provided information relating to their use of illicit drugs.

Women's experiences of, and preferences for, postpartum contraception counselling.

Background: The lack of access to and uptake of postpartum contraception is a key contributor to an estimated 121million unintended pregnancies worldwide. Research on counselling and women's preferences for postpartum contraception is scarce in Australia. We therefore aimed to explore Australian women's experiences of, and preferences for, accessing postpartum contraceptive counselling.

Naming and Recognition of Intimate Partner Violence and Family of Origin Violence Among LGBTQ Communities in Australia.

Dominant framings of intimate partner violence (IPV) construct the experience as one where a cisgender man enacts violence against a cisgender woman. While often the case, this framing obfuscates the experiences of people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender diverse, or queer (LGBTQ) and may challenge their ability to conceive of their relationship-based experiences as abusive or violent. The extent to which hostile experiences from family of origin violence (FOV) members are conceived or named as violence is also unclear.

Health intervention experiences and associated mental health outcomes in a sample of LGBTQ people with intersex variations in Australia.

People with intersex variation/s have sex characteristics determined by reproductive anatomy or chromosomal, gonadal, or hormonal expressions that are not typical of medical and societal norms for male or female bodies and are widely subjected to irreversible medical interventions at an early age to reinforce sex assignment. These interventions may be accompanied by experiences of lack of autonomy for the individual and, at times, lack of fully informed consent on the part of the individual or their parents/carers. People with intersex variations additionally experience high rates of mental health concerns relating to stigma, discrimination and poor healthcare experiences.

Alcohol and tobacco consumption among Australian sexual minority women: Patterns of use and service engagement.

Background: Sexual minority women consume both alcohol and tobacco at higher rates than heterosexual women. However, various sociodemographic and cultural factors associated with these practices among sexual minority women in Australia are not well understood, nor are the factors associated with seeking alcohol-related support.

Methods: This study utilised data from cisgender sexual minority women respondents of Private Lives 3: a national, online, cross-sectional survey of the health and wellbeing of LGBTIQ adults in Australia aged 18+ conducted in 2019.

Acceptability of immediate postpartum and post-abortion long-acting reversible contraception provision to adolescents: A systematic review.

Introduction: Long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) methods are safe for adolescents and provide the greatest assurance against rapid repeated pregnancy when inserted during the immediate postpartum (IPP) and immediate post-abortion (IPA) period. Despite increasing enthusiasm for IPP/IPA LARC insertion, adolescents' preferences and experiences have seldom been examined. The objective of this review was to examine the attitudes of adolescents (aged 10-19 years) towards IPP/IPA LARC, their experiences and perceptions around having an LARC device fitted IPP/IPA and the factors involved in decision-making to use, not use or discontinue IPP/IPA LARC.

Pharmacy-based initiatives to reduce unintended pregnancies: A scoping review.

Background: Community pharmacy contraception services are thought to improve access, with the potential to reduce the persistent sexual and reproductive health inequities observed globally.

Objectives: We aimed to identify the range of pharmacy-based initiatives addressing unintended pregnancy in the primary literature and examine their feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness.

Method: Using the Joanna Briggs Institute Methodology for Scoping Reviews, we searched seven bibliographic databases using combinations of keywords and subject headings for related to contraception and community pharmacy.

Changes in use of hormonal long-acting reversible contraceptive methods in Australia between 2006 and 2018: A population-based study.

Background: Long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs) are promoted internationally as a key strategy for reducing unintended pregnancy and abortion rates.

Aims: To examine trends in use of hormonal LARCs among reproductive-aged women in Australia between 2006 and 2018 and explore trends according to age groups and state/territory of dispensing.

Materials And Methods: Retrospective population-based study using Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) dispensing claims of a 10% random sample of females aged 15-44.

Increasing the uptake of long-acting reversible contraception in general practice: the Australian Contraceptive ChOice pRoject (ACCORd) cluster randomised controlled trial longitudinal follow-up protocol.

Introduction: Through addressing main barriers to the uptake of long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs) among Australian women, the Australian Contraceptive ChOice pRoject (ACCORd) trialled an educational intervention targeting general practitioners (GPs) and provided those in the intervention group with a rapid referral service for quick insertion. The cluster randomised controlled trial resulted in greater uptake of LARC in the intervention group. This protocol paper describes a longitudinal follow-up to the ACCORd Study to assess the long-term efficacy and cost-effectiveness of the intervention.

Scoping review of pharmacy-based initiatives for preventing unintended pregnancy: protocol.

Introduction: Due to a high global incidence of unintended pregnancy, finding novel ways to increase the accessibility of contraceptive products and information is critical. One proposed strategy is to use the accessibility of community pharmacies and expand the role of pharmacists to deliver these services. This protocol reports the methods of a proposed scoping review of pharmacy-based initiatives for preventing unintended pregnancy.

Biomarker-based corticosteroid adjustment in severe asthma: a modified Delphi consensus.

http://ow.ly/sTrf30my3jw.

Concordant divergence of mitogenomes and a mitonuclear gene cluster in bird lineages inhabiting different climates.

Metabolic processes in eukaryotic cells depend on interactions between mitochondrial and nuclear gene products (mitonuclear interactions). These interactions could have a direct role in population divergence. Here, we study mitonuclear co-evolution in a widespread bird that experienced population divergence followed by bidirectional mitochondrial introgression into different nuclear backgrounds.