Sexual Health and Blood Borne Viruses
The Sexual Health and Blood Borne Viruses (SHBBV) sits under the Public Health Directorate and aims to reduce the incidence and transmission of sexually transmissible infections (STIs) and blood borne viruses (BBVs) in the Northern Territory (NT).
We work with health services, training organisations and researchers to plan, implement, monitor and evaluate public health response to controlling infections.
To contact NT Heath’s policy and strategy development unit, email Sexual Health and Blood Borne Viruses on SHBBV.NT@nt.gov.au
To contact Clinic 34, the NT Health’s regional health services delivering sexual health services, go to the Northern Territory Government website.
Syphilis outbreak
There is an ongoing syphilis outbreak in the NT, learn about the local and national response.
Policies and strategies
| Title | Description | Website |
|---|---|---|
| National testing and diagnosis policy | The current national testing policies for HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C set out a framework for providing quality testing and removing real and perceived barriers to testing. | Australasian Society of HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Sexual Health Medicine (ASHM) testing portal |
| Northern Territory Sexually Transmissible Infections and Blood Borne Viruses Strategic and Operational Plan 2019-2023 | The NT Sexually Transmissible Infections and Blood Borne Viruses Strategic and Operational Plan aims to improve the sexual health of Territorians by its focus on health promotion, prevention, testing, early treatment and preventing the onward transmission of STI and BBV | NT Health Library Services ePublications |
| National strategies for bloodborne viruses and sexually transmissible infections | A framework and agreed direction for a high-quality and coordinated national response to bloodborne viruses and sexually transmissible infections | Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care |
Guidelines
Learn more about notifiable conditions to be reported in the NT.
| Title | Description | Website |
|---|---|---|
| NT Guidelines for the Management of Sexually Transmitted Infections in the Primary Health Care setting | Provides a reference to assist with sexual health service delivery by primary health care clinicians. | NT Health Library Services ePublications |
| Congenital syphilis guidelines for the Northern Territory | For assessment and management of syphilis in pregnancy and the neonatal period. | NT Health Library Services ePublications |
| Northern Territory Clinical Guidelines for Termination of Pregnancy | Provides guidance and support for practitioners participating in termination of pregnancy services. | NT Health Library Services ePublications |
| Remote primary health care manuals |
The Remote Primary Health Care website provides downloadable manuals for the:
| Remote Primary Health Care Manuals |
Guidelines include:
| A comprehensive range of resources to support the HIV, viral hepatitis and sexual health workforce. | The Australasian Society for HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Sexual Health Medicine |
| CDNA National Guidelines for Public Health Units | The SoNG collection contains nationally consistent advice and guidance to help Public Health Units respond to notifiable diseases. | Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care |
| Pregnancy Care Guidelines and related documents | A collection of Clinical Practice Guidelines for Pregnancy Care. Which provide a reliable and standard reference for health professionals providing antenatal care. | Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care |
| Australian Sexually Transmitted Infection & HIV Testing Guidelines 2019 for asymptomatic men who have sex with men | The Guidelines provide GPs and other clinicians with recommendations for STI and HIV testing for asymptomatic men who have sex with men. | NSW STI Program Unit |
Surveillance data
| Title | Description | Website |
|---|---|---|
| NT SHBBVU surveillance updates |
The NT SHBBVU surveillance updates are quarterly statistics for notifiable STIs and BBVs.
The data used for the report includes data extracted from the NT Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System and data from the HIV/AIDS database maintained by SHBBVU. All notification rates for quarters and 6-month periods presented in this report are crude annualised rates. Caution should be taken when interpreting the statistics reported in this publication. | NT Health Library |
| Australian annual surveillance reports | The Australia annual surveillance report provides an analysis of HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmissible infections in Australia. It includes includes estimates of incidence and prevalence of HIV and viral hepatitis, by demographic and risk groups, patterns of treatment for HIV and viral hepatitis infection, and behavioural risk factors for HIV and hepatitis C infection. | Kirby Institute |
Research
| Title | Description | Website |
|---|---|---|
| Hep B PAST | Working towards the elimination of Chronic Hepatitis B (CHB) from Indigenous Australians in the Northern Territory. | Menzies School of Health Research |
| Australian Collaboration for Coordinated Enhanced Sentinel Surveillance (ACESS) of STIs and BBV | A national sexual health surveillance network led by sexual health clinicians and researchers at the Burnet Institute, the Kirby Institute, and the National Reference Laboratory. | Kirby Institute |
| The Australian Study of Health and Relationships (ASHR) | Australia’s largest and most comprehensive survey of sexual health, behaviour, and attitudes. Conducted once a decade, it provides information essential for the development of policy and the delivery of sexual and reproductive health programs. | The Australian Study of Health and Relationships (ASHR) |
| Centre for Social Research in Health | A specialist research centre undertaking social and behavioural science research with focus on HIV, hepatitis C, harm reduction and sexuality. | UNSW |
| Viral Hepatitis Epidemiology and Prevention Program | Conducts research on key infections (including viral hepatitis and HIV) in vulnerable populations such as sex workers, people who use/inject drugs and men who have sex with men, including the Australian Needle and Syringe Program Survey. | Kirby Institute |
| Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society | Social research into sexuality, health and the social dimensions of human relationships. It runs surveys such as the National Survey of Australian Secondary Students and Sexual Health, undertakes strategic research and provides training, resources and workforce development programs. | La Trobe University |
| EC Australia: Eliminate Hepatitis C Australia Partnership | Brings together researchers, public health specialists, community organisations, government and health services to work in partnership to focus on eliminating hepatitis C as a public health threat in Australia by 2030. | Burnet Institute |
| Centre for Excellence in Rural Sexual Health | Focus on designing, implementing and evaluating programs that provide practical solutions for the improvement of sexual health in rural Victoria. | The University of Melbourne |
| WA Sexual Health and Blood-borne Virus Applied Research and Evaluation Network (SiREN) | SiREN is a partnership between researchers, service providers and policymakers working to strengthen evidence-informed policy and practice in Western Australia. | SiREN |
| Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory (VIDRL) | Leading Australian infectious diseases reference laboratory located in Melbourne, Victoria. It is now part of the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity (the Doherty). | VIDRL |
| TTANGO2 (Test, Treat and Go Trial 2) | Through TTANGO2, STI point-of-care (PoC) testing for chlamydia and gonorrhoea and also trichomonas on the Cepheid GeneXpert is being implemented in a network of primary health services over a 5-year period to evaluate the long-term uptake, sustainability and impact of STI POC testing in these services. TTANGO2 is being undertaken in health services in regional and remote areas of WA, along with several sites in Far North QLD, SA and NT. NT Health is a partner in this research. | TTANGO |
Training resources
| Title | Description | Website |
|---|---|---|
| NTG training modules |
Online NTG training modules open to non-NTG staff:
| myLearning |
| Managing Hepatitis B in Primary Health Care training | Through the Hep B PAST project, Menzies School of Health Research has developed the Managing Hepatitis B in Primary Health Care training. Email the SHBBV unit for training dates. | Menzies School of Health Research |
| LGBTI Living Well Program |
The LGBTI Living Well Program is a digital information, training, and resource program covering topics about:
| Northern Territory AIDS and Hepatitis Council Inc |
| Family Planning Welfare Association (FPWNT) training | Family Planning Welfare Association (FPWNT) is a registered training organisation that offers a range of accredited training courses in reproductive and sexual health matters for doctors, nurses and Aboriginal health practitioners. Courses are offered throughout the year at a number of centres across the Northern Territory. | Family Planning Welfare Association (FPWNT) |
| NT Hepatitis B S100 Prescriber Course | General Practitioners, Nurse Practitioners, Nurses, other community based medical practitioners in Northern Territory can undertake the NT Hepatitis B S100 Prescriber Course to become a hepatitis B s100 prescriber to manage and treat chronic hepatitis B in primary care settings. | The Australasian Society for HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Sexual Health Medicine |
| NT Domestic and Family Violence Training | NT Domestic and Family Violence Risk Assessment and Management Framework (RAMF) Training across different sites across NT. The training is a one day long, face to face and free. | Northern Territory Council of Social Service |
| Remote Area Health Corps (RAHC) | RAHC has a suite of online eLearning modules to increase awareness about various aspects of working within remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, including modules about:
| RAHC |
| Australasian Society for HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Sexual Health Medicine (ASHM) eLeaning | The ASHM website delivers a range of high-quality HIV, viral hepatitis and sexual health education sessions and workforce development programs. Programs are available on demand as well as through online video conferencing sessions. | ASHM |
| Australian Professional Association for Trans Health (AusPATH) | AusPath offers a eLearning module on Trans Primary Care for general practitioners, practice nurses and medical students to become familiar with and sensitive to the diverse terminology, experiences, health issues, standards and referral pathways with respect to trans clients (binary and non-binary). | AusPath |
| Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) | Online courses on contact tracing, transgender primary care, women’s health amongst other CPD. | ACRRM |
| Centre for Excellence in Rural Sexual Health | The University of Melbourne’s Centre for Excellence in Rural Sexual Health (CERSH) has developed free and RACGP and ACRRM accredited online learning modules for rural health professionals and other interested rural workers. There are currently 12 modules available. The overall aim of the modules is to provide practitioners with knowledge and skills regarding aspects of sexual health that particularly pertain to the rural setting. | University of Melbourne |
Health professional tools
| Title | Description | Website |
|---|---|---|
| Hep B Story App | The Hep B Story app is a visual, interactive app designed for patients living with chronic hepatitis B (hep B) and their families. | Menzies School of Health Research |
| Play safe pro | Play safe pro has a collection of tools for talking with young people about sexual health. | Play safe pro |
| For Doctors, Nurses, Health Workers | Useful resources to enhance clinical practice in remote communities, with a focus on engaging with young people on the need to test regularly for STIs and BBVs. | Young Deadly Free |
| Syphilis audio fact sheets | A collection of audible fact sheet for patients about syphilis in different languages, spoken by both males and females. | NT Health Library Services ePublications |
| Infections and conditions fact sheets | A collection of fact sheet for patients about sexually transmitted infections and safe sex. | Northern Territory Government |
Harm reduction
SHBBV manages and coordinates two key harm reduction programs in the NT.
Needle Syringe Program
The NSP aims to prevent the spread of blood borne viruses and other harms from injecting drugs. It does this by reducing the sharing or reuse of injecting equipment.
Read more about the NSP, go to the Northern Territory Government website.
Take Home Naloxone
Take Home Naloxone program allows people to access Naloxone free of charge and without a prescription from all participating community pharmacies, hospital pharmacies and approved medical practitioners.
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