Access to better sexual health in Cobram has perhaps never been easier, thanks to the recent instalment of an STI test machine.

In a step towards greater rural health equity, a collaboration between the University of Melbourne, NCN Health and Moira Shire Council has delivered a free testing service for the presence of chlamydia, gonorrhoea and HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) in people who are sexually active.

Organisers are hoping the community will take advantage of the free service while it is here in Cobram.

“Across regional Victoria, we know that it can be more challenging to access health services compared to in metro locations, where you might have multiple GP clinics or specialised sexual health services,” Kim Cowen, STI-X Project co-ordinator at the Centre for Excellence in Rural Sexual Health at the University of Melbourne, said.

“There can be issues with stigma around sexual health, so there’s privacy concerns that can exist in regional and rural communities.

“This is meeting a gap where there’s always going to be a cohort of people who, for whatever reason, may prefer to look up their sexual health in a more discreet and anonymous way.”

The dispenser, housed at the Cobram Library, provides users with a finger prick test for HIV and swabs for testing for gonorrhoea and chlamydia.

The kits are safe to use at home. When finished, users attach the return postage labels on the kit and drop it in the nearest postal box.

The tests are then analysed at the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre. Users will be notified within two weeks if they have returned a positive result.

The free service will be housed in the all-abilities toilet at the Cobram Library until September 30.

It comes amid a rise in reported cases of certain STIs across both regional and metropolitan Victoria.

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Saturday, 15th June 2024

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