The team at Kimberley Medical Group provide a comfortable, no-judgement space to discuss and provide support on topics surrounding sexual health.
Our General Practitioners are experienced and up to date with the prevention, investigation and management of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in Broome and throughout the Kimberley region.
The Kimberley region is considered an endemic region and therefore the slightest symptoms of a potential STI should be taken seriously and checked. STIs such as Human Papillomavirus (HPV), chlamydia, gonorrhoea, herpes, syphilis and trichomoniasis all display little to no symptoms so it’s important to get checked once to twice a year, at least.
According to the Kimberley Health Profile report, conducted in recent years, the rate of sexually transmitted infection notifications was five times the State rate. The report also outlined that the two most common STIs were chlamydia and gonorrhoea – both of which display little to no symptoms. It is also important to note that the rate of STIs is much higher in Indigenous Australians compared to non-Indigenous Australians.
Because chlamydia and gonorrhoea are often asymptomatic, if left untreated, they can result in long term complications like pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility. However, STIs are easy to test for and treat to prevent these complications from happening.
It is because of this that we strongly encourage sexual health and STI checks, especially between new sexual partners.
We can also discuss and provide advice on contraceptive options with both males and females to work out what suits your lifestyle and body best. As there is a larger variety of options for females we recommend having a discussion first about which contraceptives will suit you before going ahead with an insertion procedure. Sometimes it is a case of trial and error and figuring out what works best but we are more than happy to help you on this journey.
