With Monkeypox Still Ongoing, Experts Are Urging Young Aussies To Get Tested

"A reasonable practice for young people should be to visit a GP or their sexual health clinic."

Monkeypox might not be dominating the news headlines anymore, but a risk in Australia remains, especially for young Australians.

Health professionals and experts are now urging all Australians to carefully monitor their sexual health, to prevent the spread of monkeypox and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), like chlamydia and gonorrhoea.

Student Edge sat down with virologist and infectious diseases physician Professor Dominic Dwyer to chat about the relative risks of monkeypox and STIs for young Australians ahead of summer.

“The key is making sure younger people who are engaging in sexual activity are aware of the risks around STIs,” Professor Dwyer said.

Although he said the risk of monkeypox transmission is comparatively low in Australia, Professor Dwyer did warn that all people, regardless of age or demographic, should be vigilant about their sexual health.

“It is concerning in the sense that monkeypox seems to have become an STI, whereas before, it wasn’t regarded as one,” he said.

Young people aren’t necessarily more at risk than other Australians of contracting the virus, but Professor Dwyer said certain characteristics can make certain people more at risk than others.

“The risk has been nearly all in men who have sex with other men, particularly those that have travelled overseas. If young people are in those risk groups, then they’re at risk of monkeypox.”

Fortunately, the Australian response to monkeypox has been one of the best in the world, limiting cases to just 138, most of which have been in Victoria and NSW.

Can confirm Monkeypox vaccines have reached Australia 💉💪🏽 pic.twitter.com/Z7tOlL0uqf

— Dr Brad McKay (@DrBradMcKay) August 8, 2022

Specifically, governments and health professionals have applauded the LGBTI+ community’s response to the monkeypox outbreak, harkening to the gay community’s current steadfast response to HIV.

Here's what happened: Unlike the COVID denialists in the Republican base, the LGBT community took Monkeypox seriously, got itself vaccinated, and took basic public health measure to prevent transmission. Like you do. https://t.co/MgNCdJFWYt

— 🕷Dante Atkins🕷 (@DanteAtkins) November 14, 2022

However, Professor Dwyer said that while monkeypox risks might be comparatively low, that doesn’t mean other STIs aren’t still a threat.

STIs like gonorrhoea and syphilis have been on the rise for the past few years, particularly in suburban and regional areas of Australia.

Chlamydia is the leading cause of infertility in Australian women.

Professor Dwyer said young people should be seeking out advice and testing from their GP or healthcare provider.

“I think a reasonable practice for young people should be to visit a GP or their sexual health clinic when they’re starting to become sexually active to get advice.”

He said that regular testing is one of the most important aspects of managing your sexual health, but an understanding of risks and preventative measures like condoms is very important.

With schoolies happening across the nation in the coming weeks, healthcare providers are stressing the importance of STI prevention and education.