The program is in response to recent and dramatic rises in the rates of STIs in Victorian rural and regional communities and particularly among the GLBT population. Annual surveillance data collected by the Victorian Department of Human Services indicates some alarming trends with Chlamydia rates up 22% since 2006 and Syphilis increasing from a single case in 2001 to almost 1000 diagnosed cases in the last two years.
In a study by the National Centre in HIV Epidemiology, it is predicted that Victoria’s HIV infection rates may rise by 73% by 2015 which is a substantial and worrying. Data also suggests that testing and notifications rates for STIs are much lower in rural areas than in metropolitan regions, with rural areas having poorer access to health and community support services. Take Care OutBack There also intends to better inform and support GLBTQ people living in rural communities with knowledge of the services that are available and strategies to increase access and better their sexual health.
Feeling connected to our community has great health and wellbeing benefits and getting our sexual health information from places where we work, rest and play helps create a GLBT safe sex culture by making health promotion part of our everyday lives.
