Related Pages

About the STD check-up

HIV/AIDS

Gonorrhoea

Hepatitis B

Hepatitis A

Links to Gay and Lesbian sites

Information for students: Sexual preference

Information for Gay, Bisexual and other Men who have Sex with Men

Gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men are valued clients of Clinic 275. They represent approximately 13% of clients attending the clinic, which outweighs their prevalence in the total population.

Clinic 275 realises that men who have sex with men have special needs:

• the need to feel at ease in a non-discriminatory and non-judgemental environment

• the need for recognition of the special health problems faced by men who have sex with men

• the need to appropriately test for sexually transmitted infections, including adequate counselling and explanation of the tests

• the need to take special measures to prevent sexually transmitted infections: targeted safe sex information and vaccinations where appropriate

To accommodate these needs as much as possible, Clinic 275 offers a service to gay and bisexual men which may differ from that offered to other clients.

STD Risks

Men who have sex with men are more likely to be diagnosed with the following infections:

• HIV infection

• Gonorrhoea (in the urethra, pharynx (throat) or rectum/anus

• Hepatitis B

• Hepatitis A

Most of these infections have serious and, in some cases, potentially life-threatening medical consequences. Any of the infections may be present with no symptoms. This means that Clinic 275 offers testing for these infections to all men who have sex with men, even if they do not have any symptoms.

Medical Assessment

If you prefer, you can be seen by either a male or female doctor.

The doctor will ask a number of questions about any symptoms you might have, in addition to finding out information about your sexual activity. He or she will ask about the number of partners you have been with, the type of sex you had, whether you were interstate or overseas at the time, and whether condoms were used. These questions are obviously very personal, but the doctors at Clinic 275 are non-judgemental and ask these questions in order to decide:

• the extent of the risk of various STDs

• what tests need to be performed

In most cases you will be offered blood tests for HIV, syphilis, hepatitis B, hepatitis C and hepatitis A. You will probably also be offered swab tests from the throat and rectum to look for gonorrhoea and chlamydia. Usually, if you attend for a check-up, and don't have any symptoms, you won't need to have a swab taken from your urethra - we can test your urine instead. (But sometimes a swab test from the urethra is necessary - your doctor will advise you.) Remember that gonorrhoea or chlamydia may be present in any of these sites with no symptoms, and the only way to be certain of its presence is to perform these tests.

The tests and examination are usually over in a few minutes, and some preliminary results are available from our on site laboratory within 10 to 15 minutes. You need to return to Clinic 275 a week later for the rest of the results.

Extra Services Offered to Gay and Bisexual Men

Men who have sex with men who are shown (by a blood test) not to be immune to hepatitis B are automatically offered a hepatitis B vaccination course free of charge.

If you would like to be vaccinated against hepatitis A, the doctor at Clinic 275 can give you a prescription for the vaccine if your blood tests show that you are not already immune.

Occasionally, a special STD blood test screen (for HIV, syphilis, hepatitis A, B and C) is offered to men attending Adelaide's sauna for men who have sex with men. This service is popular with men who find it difficult to attend Clinic 275 or their own GP for testing. The doctors attending the sauna to perform the tests offer an understanding and non-judgemental medical presence to men who would otherwise feel uncomfortable discussing their sexuality with a doctor.

Safe Sex Information for Gay and Bisexual Men

In 1995, a set of Safe Sex information leaflets was jointly produced by STD Services, the Gay Men's Health Education Unit of the AIDS Council of South Australia, and Family Planning South Australia (now known as SHine SA).

These pamphlets, entitled "Gay Sex Without Regret" give information about the STD and HIV risks associated with specific sexual activities performed by men who have sex with men. These pamphlets are available from STD Services on request. (Careful! The language is very explicit!)

Top of Page