The provision of sexual and reproductive health information and services to travellers: an exploratory survey of Australian travel medicine clinicians

Abstract

Background International travel can increase the risk of exposure to infectious diseases including sexually transmissible infections (STI). Pre-travel medical consultation provides an opportunity for travel-related health risk assessments and advice. This study explored how travel medicine clinicians integrate sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services into clinical practice. Methods A convenience sample of travel medicine clinicians completed a cross-sectional survey online or via hard-copy disseminated at an annual national Australian travel medicine conference. Results Of the 67 respondents, most (n, 51; 76.1%) had a postgraduate qualification relevant to travel medicine and 55.2% (n, 37) had worked in travel medicine for over 10 years. Only 22.4% (n, 15) reported conducting a SRH history/STI risk assessment for all travel patients. STI testing pre-departure was conducted on patient request (48, 71.6%), if symptomatic (32, 47.8%) or based on risk history (28, 41.8%). SRH information pre-departure was most frequently provided if prompted by patient questions (n, 42; 62.7%), or based on the patient’s history (n, 37; 55.2%). Over half the sample (n, 40; 59.7%) expressed interest in further training in SRH. Conclusion Providing and engaging with additional training may assist travel medicine clinicians to take a more proactive approach to SRH consultations and STI testing. Additional research is needed to explore models of care that will allow comprehensive SRH and STI services to be integrated into standard pre- and post-travel care.