Rural general practice comes with its own set of considerations when it comes to sexual health care – and this module puts them front and centre. You'll examine how models of health care delivery differ in rural areas, and what that means for the way sexual health care is planned and provided. You'll explore the areas of care that need special consideration in a rural context, from service availability to patient confidence in seeking help. And you'll come away with practical ways to reduce the barriers your patients face in accessing care, helping you create a safer, more welcoming environment for anyone seeking sexual health support.

Whether you're new to rural practice or have worked regionally for years, this module offers a grounded, practical starting point for strengthening sexual health care in your community.

Good sexual health care starts with the conversation. This module builds your skills in conducting a sexual history that accurately identifies a patient's risk and care needs, with guidance from CERSH Clinical Lead A/Prof Siobhan Bourke and a set of good and bad practice examples to sharpen your technique. Video vignettes walk through real consultation scenarios – from abortion care and menopause to FGM/C and disclosures of sexual assault – showing what to ask and how to ask it. You'll also hear directly from rural GP Dr Wendy Connor and people with lived experience on the assumptions rural patients most often encounter, and how to avoid them.

You'll learn practical strategies to engage people of all sexualities and gender identities with confidence, and reduce the barriers rural patients face in accessing care.

Syphilis has earned the nickname "the great mimicker" for the sheer range of ways it can present – while herpes, though manageable, remains one of the most stigmatised STIs patients live with. This module builds your awareness of current testing guidelines for both, and strengthens your knowledge of recommended treatment and management plans in the Australian context. Two lectures from Dr Stella Heley – drawing on a distinguished career in sexual health medicine and clinical education – unpack the biology, history and current thinking behind screening, treatment and public health policy for each infection.

Round out your knowledge alongside CERSH's other STI modules on chlamydia and gonorrhoea, and take an excellent sexual history (Module 2) to manage these conditions with confidence and reduce stigma for your patients.

Partner notification can be a challenge for both patients and practitioners – and even more so in small communities, where overlapping relationships add extra layers of complexity. This module walks you through the basic concepts of contact tracing and its role in controlling STIs, with Professor Jane Tomnay guiding you through evidence-based approaches and real examples of how to do it well, for both individual patient outcomes and public health. You'll build strategies to keep patient safety front and centre throughout the process, and explore resources tailored to rural and small community settings.

Recommended alongside CERSH's STI modules (3, 4 and 5) and Module 2 on sexual history taking, this module helps you approach partner notification with confidence – reducing stigma and deepening trust with your patients.