Centre for Excellence in Rural Sexual Health

Outline of the modules:

An outline of each module is below, along with the estimated time each will take to complete.

• Module 1: Introduction to Rural Sexual Health Care

  This first model introduces models of health care in rural communities, explained by experts in the field.

  Approx. learning time: 1 hour

  RACGP CPD Activity: 2 points

• Module 2: Cornerstones of Rural Sexual Health

  In this module you will gain some tips into how to take a good history about someone’s sexual activity. The module also looks at issues of access to medical care related to cost, and usage of Medicare by young patients.

  Approx. learning time: 2 hours

  RACGP CPD Activity: 4 points

• Module 3: STI: Treatment and Management

  The NSW STI Programs Unit (STIPU) in partnership with the CERSH, Australian Society for HIV Medicine (ASHM) and Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACCRM) have developed this module to assist GPs to understand the current epidemiology of sexual health in Australia, identify the role they have to play in preventing STIs and consider what changes they can implement into their practice to ensure patients feel comfortable to ask about their sexual health care.

  Approx. learning time: 1.5 hours

  RACGP CPD Activity: 3 points

• Module 4: Youth and Trust

  This module explores ideas for engaging younger clients and the legalities that may need to be addressed.

  Approx. learning time: 1.5 hours

  RACGP CPD Activity: 3 points

• Module 5: Privacy and Confidentiality

  This module explores ideas on how to maintain privacy and confidentiality in a rural community setting.

  Approx. learning time: 1 hour

  RACGP CPD Activity: 2 points

• Module 6: Avoiding Assumptions in Sexual Health Care

  This module looks at the experiences of people with diverse sexuality and sexual health needs and how we can learn from them to provide better health care.

  Approx. learning time: 1 hour

  RACGP CPD Activity: 2 points

• Module 7: Partner Notification in a Small Community

  This module presents some concepts to help with partner notification in smaller communities, where overlapping relationships produce particular challenges.

  Approx. learning time: 1.5 hours

  RACGP CPD Activity: 3 points

• Module 8: Pharmaceutical Access for Sexual Health Care

  This modules explores how to create better pharmacy access for patients with sexual health care needs.

  Approx. learning time: 2 hours

  RACGP CPD Activity: 4 points

• Module 9: National Cervical Screening Program

  This module covers an overview of the National Cervical Screening Program (NCSP), with a focus on how to engage under-screened patients.

  Approx. learning time: 2 hours

  RACGP CPD Activity: 4 points

• Module 10: Service Delivery of Medical Abortion in a Rural Context

  This module will take you through issues worth considering when contemplating or indeed setting up a service for medical abortion in a rural setting. The module will give examples of how it has been done by others and the different models of care that have been used.

  Approx. learning time: 3 hours

  RACGP CPD Activity: 6 points

• Module 11: Long Acting Reversible Contraception (LARC)

  This module will look at identifying patients suited to LARC and how to explain the different methods of LARC available. The module also aims to present the benefits of offering LARC and to improve the take-up of LARC as the first line of contraception.

  Approx. learning time: 3 hours

  RACGP CPD Activity: 6 points

• Module 12: Syphilis

  This module explores the history of syphilis, as a background to understanding the epidemiology and to determine screening and treatment best practices.

  Approx. learning time: 2.5 hours

  RACGP CPD Activity: 5 points

Publication Listing

• 2021

  Christina Malatzky & Alana Hulme (2021): ‘I love my job…it’s more the systems that we work in’: the challenges encountered by rural sexual and reproductive health practitioners and implications for access to care, Culture, Health & Sexuality, DOI: 10.1080/13691058.2021.1880640

• 2020

  Coombe J, Kong F, Bittleston H, Williams H, Tomnay J, Vaisey A, Malta S, Goller J, Temple-Smith M, Bourchier L, Lau A, Chow E, Hocking J. Love during lockdown. Sexually Transmitted Infections 2020;0:1–7. doi:10.1136/sextrans-2020-054688.

  Coombe J, Goller J, Bittleston H, Vaisey A, Sanci L, Groos A, Tomnay J, Temple-Smith M, Hocking J. 'STIs, partner notification and intimate relationships: a qualitative study exploring the perspectives of general practitioners and people with a recent chlamydia infection'.  Sexual Health. 2020 Dec;17(6):503-509. https://doi.org/10.1071/SH20109.

  Goller Jane L., Coombe Jacqueline, Bourne Christopher, Bateson Deborah, Temple-Smith Meredith, Tomnay Jane, Vaisey Alaina, Chen Marcus Y., O’Donnell Heather, Groos Anita, Sanci Lena, Hocking Jane (2020) Patient-delivered partner therapy for chlamydia in Australia: can it become part of routine care? Sexual Health 17, 321-329. https://doi.org/10.1071/SH20024 May 2020

  Wagg E, Hocking JS, Tomnay JE. 'What do young women living in regional and rural Victoria say about chlamydia testing? A qualitative study.' Sexual Health 17, 160-166.March 2020.https://doi.org/10.1071/SH19182.

• 2019

  Goller J, Coombe J, Bourne C, Temple-Smith M, Tomnay J, Vaisey A, Chen M, ODonnell H, Groos A, Sanci L, Hocking J. Patient delivered partner therapy for chlamydia in Australia – can it become part of routine care? Sexual Health. Sexual Health https://doi.org/10.1071/SH20024 May 2020.

  Wagg E, Hocking JS, Tomnay JE. 'What do young women living in regional and rural Victoria say about chlamydia testing? A qualitative study.' Sexual Health 17, 160-166.March 2020.https://doi.org/10.1071/SH19182.

  Iturrieta-Guaita N, Temple-Smith J, Tomnay J. Experiences from the field: Chilean healthcare providers’ perspectives on partner notification for syphilis – a qualitative case study. Brazilian Journal of STD, 2019; 31(3):90-95. doi:10.5327/DST-2177-8264-201931304.

  Bilardi JE, Hulme-Chambers A, Chen MY, Fairley CK, Huffam SE, Tomnay JE. The role of stigma in the acceptance and disclosure of HIV among recently diagnosed men who have sex with men in Australia: A qualitative study. PLoS ONE 2019; 14(11): e0224616. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0224616

  Iturrieta-Guaita, N, Temple-Smith M, Tomnay JE. Using electronic communication technologies for improving syphilis partner notification in Chile: healthcare providers’ perspectives – a qualitative case study. Sexual Health 2019:16(4) 377-382 https://doi.org/10.1071/SH19007.

• 2018

  Hulme-Chambers A, Clune S, Tomnay J. Medical termination of pregnancy service delivery in the context of decentralization: social and structural influences. International Journal for Equity in Health 2018; 17:172

  Hulme Chambers A (2018), Understanding models for delivering sexual health services in rural Victoria, Report completed April 2018

  Hulme Chambers A, Tomnay J, Stephens K, Crouch A, Whiteside M, Love P, McIntosh L, Waples Crowe P.  Facilitators of community participation in an Aboriginal sexual health promotion initiative. Rural and Remote Health 2018; 18: 4245.

  Tomnay J, Coelli L, Davidson A, Hulme Chambers A, Orr C, Hocking J. Providing accessible medical abortion service in a Victorian rural community: A description and audit of service delivery and contraception follow up. Sexual and Reproductive Health Care

  Hulme Chambers, A, Temple-Smith, M, Coelli L, Davidson A, Orr, C, Tomnay, J. (2018). Australian women’s experiences of a rural medical termination of pregnancy service: A qualitative study. Sexual & Reproductive Healthcare; 15: 23-27

• 2017

  Tomnay JE, Coelli L, and Hocking JS. High rates of chlamydia found among 12-16 year olds attending a rural sexual health clinic: Implications for practice. Sexual Health: http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/SH15140.

  Winterton R, Hulme Chambers A. (2016) Developing sustainable social programmes for rural ethnic seniors: perspectives of community stakeholders. Health and Social Care in the Community, DOI: 10.1111/hsc.12373

  Iacono T, Stagg K, Pearce N, Hulme Chambers A. (2016) A scoping review of Australian allied health research in ehealth. BMC Health Services Research, 16(543), DOI: 10.1186/s12913-016-1791-x

• 2016

Our Vision & Work Focus

The vision of CERSH is that all rural Victorians have access to quality sexual health care, information and support that is tailored to their individual needs. CERSH continues to develop sustainable strategies by building collaborations and partnerships between agencies, services and individuals to achieve our vision.

• Our Priorities

  The purpose of the Centre is to design, implement and evaluate programs that provide practical solutions for the improvement of sexual health in both the Hume and Loddon Mallee Department of Health and Human Services regions in rural Victoria. In achieving this, the Centre’s priority areas are focused on:

  • Rural workforce capacity and development
  • Leadership, research, evaluation and knowledge sharing
  • Affordable reproductive health
• Our Goals

  The goals that CERSH is working towards, in line with other funded agencies in Victoria, are:

  • Reduced incidence and prevalence of Sexually Transmissible Infections/ Blood Borne Viruses (STI/BBV)
  • Increase in early detection and treatment of STI/BBV
  • Increased best-practice sexual and reproductive health services
  • Increased access to affordable contraception and termination of pregnancy services