Summary
- Forum on sexual health set for 31 July, in Cairns.
- Rural clinicians gain practical, evidence-based sexual health education.
The first North Queensland Rural and Remote Sexual Health Forum will be held in Cairns on 31 July.
The forum will feature specialist speakers on a range of sexual and reproductive health subjects and is being organised jointly by the Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service Public Health Unit, the Cairns and Hinterland HHS’s Sexual Health Unit and Townsville HHS’s Sexual Health Unit.
Torres and Cape HHS Public Health Unit Clinical Nurse Consultant for Sexual and Reproductive Health Laura Berry said some of the subjects on the agenda included syphilis, HIV, sexually transmissible infection testing, female and male sexual dysfunction and pregnancy options.
“We’ll have speakers who live and work in rural and remote Queensland speakers talking about everything and anything to do with sexual and reproductive health,’’ Ms Berry said.
“It’ll be an opportunity for clinicians to share knowledge, as well as gain new knowledge and awareness.’’
Ms Berry, who has worked as a rural and remote nurse in the Kimberley and on Cape York since 2015, said accessing professional development for rural and remote clinicians was difficult.
She said the sexual health forum was designed to help bring clinicians, health workers and health practitioners together who might otherwise not have had the opportunity.
“Last year, I decided to organise a small education day for remote clinicians from the Torres and Cape because I knew there was a real gap,’’ she said.
“The response was incredible, and it quickly became obvious there was a need for something much bigger, which is how the North Queensland Rural and Remote Sexual Health Forum has come about.
“At a time when we're seeing increasing rates of sexually transmitted infections across Australia, including our own region, ensuring clinicians have access to current, evidence-based education has never been more important.
“The forum also gives a nod to the legacy of Sex Essentials, a well-known local sexual health education event that unfortunately stopped after COVID and which was run by Cairns Sexual Health.
“We wanted to keep that spirit alive while reimagining it to better support clinicians working in rural and remote Queensland.
“Ultimately, this forum is about equity.
“Rural and remote clinicians shouldn't miss out on quality education simply because of where they live or work.
“Many of the communities experiencing the highest rates of STIs and blood-borne viruses are in rural and remote areas, yet the clinicians caring for them often have the least access to specialist education and professional development.
“Our aim is to provide free, practical, accessible and evidence-based education that clinicians can immediately take back to their communities.
“Just as importantly, the forum creates opportunities for networking, collaboration and peer support, helping reduce the professional isolation that many rural and remote clinicians experience.
“I want it to be a platform that continues to connect, support and empower the rural and remote health workforce, ensuring clinicians have the same opportunities to learn, grow and deliver high-quality care as their metropolitan colleagues.
“Ultimately, investing in our rural and remote workforce will mean better care and better health outcomes for the communities they serve.’’