Sexual health

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Unit 636

August 2026

Sexual health

The purpose of this activity is to highlight the breadth and complexity of sexual health cases encountered across communities. The varied cases demonstrate the importance of trauma-informed practice and multidisciplinary care, and the essential role of primary care in long-term monitoring and prevention.

This collection of sexual health cases highlights the breadth and complexity of clinical presentations encountered across communities. Mai’s case of vulvodynia and sexual difficulties demonstrates the importance of biopsychosocial assessment, trauma-informed practice and multidisciplinary care. Jonica’s case on post IUD insertion troubleshooting reinforces structured evaluation of abnormal bleeding, exclusion of infection and shared decision making to support contraceptive continuation. Tuân’s presentation of late HIV diagnosis underscores the morbidity associated with delayed testing, management of opportunistic infections and the essential role of primary care in long-term monitoring and prevention.

Rio’s case provides a detailed exploration of syphilis serology interpretation, staging and management, including contact tracing and preventive care. Adrian’s case introduces the unique challenges of sexual healthcare in a custodial setting, where systemic barriers impact privacy, continuity of care, access to comprehensive sexually transmissible infection screening and culturally safe care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients.

The barriers explored in these cases contribute to the underdiagnosis and delayed management of sexual health conditions and highlight the need for trauma-informed, person-centred and culturally responsive approaches, particularly for patients experiencing overlapping stigma and disadvantage. Together, these cases offer practical, evidence-based learning to strengthen the delivery of sexual healthcare across diverse clinical environments.

Learning outcomes

At the end of this activity, participants will be able to:

  • identify the key clinical features, diagnostic tests and recommended management plans for syphilis
  • identify the appropriate investigations, management and long-term monitoring for people living with late-diagnosed HIV
  • apply evidence-based guidelines to manage common post IUD insertion side effects or complications
  • recognise and evaluate the biopsychosocial contributors to vulvodynia and sexual difficulties
  • describe the structural, cultural and clinical barriers to sexual healthcare in custodial settings.

Case studies

Below is a list of the case studies found in this month's unit of check. To see how these case studies unfold and gain valuable insights into this month's topic, log into gplearning to complete the course. 
 

Rio (he/him), a cisgender man (aged 32 years) who has sex with other men, attends your practice for a routine sexually transmissible infection check following a recent increase in sexual activity after breaking up with his long-term partner. He is currently asymptomatic. He uses condoms inconsistently and reports 12 casual partners in the past 3 months. He has both receptive and insertive anal intercourse.

Tuân (he, him), aged 40 years, has sex with men and lives with his male partner of 15 years. Tuân presents with a 6-month history of fatigue. He has had 1 week of mild shortness of breath on exertion and light-headedness. He has also noticed a rash across his upper chest.

Jonica (she/her), a woman aged 35 years, presents with irregular vaginal bleeding. Jonica had an IUD inserted 3 months ago.

Mai (she/her), a cisgender woman aged 37 years, comes to see you. Mai complains of a ‘burning, stinging’ sensation across her vulva, which she has had for the past 10 months. She tells you that the symptoms began following multiple episodes of thrush, which occurred following a colposcopy for human papillomavirus, not 16/18, and low-grade changes. She describes herself as heterosexual with casual partners only, but she has recently avoided sexual activity due to her symptoms. She has no other medical conditions, takes no regular medications and has no known drug allergies. She is an ex light smoker of 5 pack-years.

You are working in the health clinic of a men’s prison. Adrian, aged 22 years, has requested an appointment for an ‘STI check’. You note his request was made 6 months ago and that Adrian has been in this custodial setting for 2 years. Adrian is Aboriginal, and from a remote community. The correctional facility is some distance from his Country, community and family. You are aware that Adrian has likely experienced discrimination, institutional racism, and barriers to accessing healthcare equivalent to that in the broader community while in custody, and that long waits are not unusual in this setting.

CPD

This unit of check is approved for 10 hours of CPD activity (2 hours per case). The 10 hours, when completed, including the online questions, comprise 5 hours’ Educational Activities and 5 hours’ Reviewing Performance.
 
Educational
Activities
5
hours
Measuring
Outcomes
0
hours
Reviewing
Performance
5
hours

Complete check online

To enroll in this check unit online: 

  1. Log into myCPD home page
  2. Select 'Browse' and search for 1553630
  3. Select the course and register

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