Sexually transmissible diseases - Knowledge and practices of general practitioners in Victoria, Australia

Abstract

Objective: To examine knowledge and practices in relation to sexually transmissible diseases (STDs) of general practitioners (GPs) in Victoria, Australia. Method: A questionnaire was distributed to 520 Victorian GPs randomly selected from the Australian Medical Publishing Company (AMPCo) database of Australian medical practitioners. Results: A response rate of 85% was obtained. While sexual health consultations were common for Victorian GPs, STD caseloads were generally low. Knowledge of clinical features of symptomatic STDs and of important STD epidemiology was generally good although there was a lower awareness of the asymptomatic nature of the most prevalent STDs in Victoria. Diagnostic t..