Psychiatrists' knowledge and practices in screening and assessment of Hepatitis C for inpatients with severe mental illness.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess psychiatrists' Hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related knowledge and behaviour practices.

Method: A self-report survey was completed by doctors working at an urban psychiatric hospital in Australia.

Results: Doctors working in psychiatry underestimated the prevalence of HCV infection for their patients and less than one-third felt well informed about HCV.

A retrospective case note review of sex worker attendees at sexual health clinics in the western suburbs of Sydney.

Background: Sex workers (SWs) are globally recognised to be at high risk for the acquisition and transmission of sexually transmissible infections (STIs). There is a paucity of published data concerning SWs from the western suburbs of Sydney, with the last published study conducted in 1988. Therefore, we conducted a study to determine the demographics, sexual practices and health care needs of SWs attending Sexual Health Clinics (SHCs) in the region.

Immunodominant epitopes in herpes simplex virus type 2 glycoprotein D are recognized by CD4 lymphocytes from both HSV-1 and HSV-2 seropositive subjects.

In human recurrent cutaneous herpes simplex, there is a sequential infiltrate of CD4 and then CD8 lymphocytes into lesions. CD4 lymphocytes are the major producers of the key cytokine IFN-gamma in lesions. They recognize mainly structural proteins and especially glycoproteins D and B (gD and gB) when restimulated in vitro.

Severe mental illness is a new risk marker for blood-borne viruses and sexually transmitted infections.

Objective: To determine whether severe mental illness (SMI) constitutes a risk for the acquisition of sexually transmissible infections (STIs) and blood-borne viruses (BBVs), including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), both locally and globally.

Method: Database searches revealed 51 eligible studies for the review. Studies with samples of patients with SMI were analysed and compared with population data.

Regional differences in men attending a sexual health clinic in Sydney for premature ejaculation.

Introduction: Previous investigation from UK sexual health clinics has suggested that men from Central Asian and Middle Eastern backgrounds are more likely to present with premature ejaculation (PE) than men from Western backgrounds. This interesting finding requires replication, especially in populations from other countries.

Aim: The current study aimed to determine whether men who had sought treatment for PE from a community sexual health clinic were more likely to come from Central Asian and Middle Eastern backgrounds than from Western backgrounds.

Sex in the suburbs.

Background: Many suburban sexual health clinics exist in Australasia. However, sexual health research has hitherto been restricted to populations from major metropolitan centres.

Objective: To describe the demographic, sexual characteristics and presenting diagnoses of 6521 new patients attending a sexual health clinic in the western suburbs of Sydney (New South Wales).