WA specific information

Free chlamydia, gonorrhoea and syphilis testing is available from https://www.getthefacts.health.wa.gov.au/online-sti-testing

The Communicable Disease Control Directorate (CDCD) funds hepatitis A and/or B vaccines for the following groups of people who are at increased risk of acquiring these infections by sexual transmission and/or injecting drug use:

• men who have sex with men
• people who inject drugs
• sex industry workers
• people living with HIV, chronic hepatitis B or C infection or chronic liver disease
• people newly notified with hepatitis C (newly acquired or chronic/unspecified) or hepatitis B (newly acquired or chronic/unspecified).

The Department of Justice funds hepatitis A and B vaccines for people in corrective facilities; this group is not eligible for WA Department of Health funded vaccines. People in corrective facilities are recommended to receive vaccination due to their increased risk of hepatitis B infection.

See Guidelines for the Provision of Hepatitis A and B Vaccine to Adults in Western Australia at Risk of Acquiring these Infections by Sexual Transmission and Injecting Drug Use (PDF 248KB).

This service provides primary health care staff with clinical support, advice and education to enable them to monitor, treat and manage patients with chronic hepatitis B, possibly without the need to refer to a tertiary specialist centre.

The statewide hepatitis B email clinical advice service is monitored Monday to Friday with a 2 business day response time, with advice from a specialist nurse practitioner provided by either email, phone/video call, or if required, an in-person visit.

Outreach clinics (including use of a Fibroscan®) to metropolitan general practices help provide a complete clinical picture for clinicians to ensure patients get the most appropriate care with onward referral if needed. Email HepBHubWA@health.wa.gov.au to organise an outreach clinic.

GP/NP Prescription Request form:This online form is for primary/community health care providers to obtain a Hepatitis B antiviral prescription from the Hep B Hub WA for their patient if they are not an s100 prescriber, or an s100 prescriber is not available to them. Requests can be either to initiate or to continue current treatment and both paper and e-scripts are available.

In accordance with WA's Structured Administration Supply Arrangements, uncomplicated urogenital gonorrhoea locally acquired in the Goldfields and Kimberley regions can be treated with a single directly observed oral dose of:

• azithromycin (1g)

AND

• amoxycillin (3g)

AND

• probenecid (1g)

This treatment is appropriate as >95% of gonorrhoea infections acquired in these regions are susceptible to penicillin. 

The Integrated case management program (ICMP) provides services to people living with HIV who have complex psychosocial needs or require extra support (in addition to what can be provided by a GP or hospital outpatient service) to enable them to engage in health care.

See the infection-specific guideline in King Edward Memorial Hospital - Obstetrics and Gynaecology Guidelines