Study highlights S.T.D. risks

Press, 2 December 1987, Page 7

Study highlights S.T.D. risks

NZPA-AAP Sydney Homosexual and bisexual men in the higher social and economic groups were more likely to contract sexually transmitted diseases, research by a medical geographer shows. Dr Dorothy Baczkowski made her finding from research based on data provided by 7000 Sydney S.T.D. clinic patients. The data showed bisexual men who were proportionally overrepresented in the two highest occupational groups, appeared to be most likely to catch all types of S.T.D.s.

Women were more likely to contract herpes than gonorrhoea or syphilis. Research showed that the percentage of Austra-lian-born patients was relatively low. The percentage of tourists and migrants, especially from New Zealand, Europe, and the Pacific, was very high.

The number of patients from Asia and Africa did not exceed normal popu-

lation proportions, she said. The data showed that also the highest incidence of people with S.T.D.s was in central Sydney including the central business district. Dr Baczkowski said the research for her Ph.D. from Macquarie University’s Earth Sciences School found there was a significant difference between the type of disease and sexual orientation. Male homosexuals were more likely to contract gonorrhoea and syphilis rather than herpes simplex virus. Females were more likely to contract H.S.V. and less likely than males to contract gonorrhoea.

Bisexuals contracted the same proportion of gonorrhoea as heterosexual males but also contracted a very high proportion of syphilis.

Dr Baczkowski said her research had important implications for the fight against A.I.D.S.

She said a smaller questionnaire of people at the clinic showed half blamed

fate for contracting an S.T.D.

“The idea that people think they are not terribly responsible for their behaviour is worrying in the context of A.1.D.5.,” she said.

Dr Baczkowski said her survey found places outside Sydney, especially overseas cities, were the dominant place for infection sources for all sexual groups, except women, who said “home” was the most frequent place of sexual contact. Dr Baczkowski said her research also suggested herpes was usually picked up in long-term relationships, especially within marriage. “Although the clinic population did not represent the Sydney metropolitan population as a whole, it was probably a representative sample of the S.T.D. population,” she said.

Dr Baczkowksi, a former nurse and now a teacher at Mosman High school, in Sydney’s north, received her Ph.D. at a ceremony at Macquarie University in September.