Owing to the increasing number of sexually transmitted infections, public health officials are reported to initiate a new strategy to curb the issue.

They have reportedly opened an Xpress Clinic to ‘fast-track’ STI consultations in the city as well as enable young city workers handle an STI check-up with their work commitments in the day.

Also, the cases of syphilis have declined in the eastern suburbs over the past year, while Chlamydia, which is symptom-free and makes women infertile, continues to rise among people under the age of 25 along with gonorrhea which is said to be increasing and the highest in gay men.

Sexual Health Centre Director, Dr. Anna McNulty said: “We hope the Xpress Clinic will encourage more local people to access sexual health care, increase awareness of testing for STIs and increase condom use to prevent STI transmission”.

However, with the introduction of a computer-based ‘self-interview and specimen self-collection system’, the centre has be able to bring waiting times down from 28 minutes to four minutes as well as consultation with a doctor from
50 to 35 minutes.

This will encourage young people to participate, as it will shun the apprehension that they’ll get a long boring lecture or will be embarrassed while talking to a health care worker.