Dr Vincent Cornelisse takes out Victorian Premier's Prize for Best Public Health Researcher

Dr Cornelisse accepting his award

Huge congratulations go to Melbourne Sexual Health Centre and Alfred Health researcher Dr Vincent Cornelisse.

Dr Cornelisse's research focussed on the prevention of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.

Populations affected by HIV are the same populations affected by bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including chlamydia, gonorrhoea and syphilis. His research seeks to find and evaluate new strategies to prevent the transmission of HIV and STIs.

As part of this research, he's validated the use of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) eligibility criteria, which provided important information for the Australian PrEP clinical guidelines.

Sexual partners: getting the terminology right

Accuracy of terminology matters in
assessing sexual risk

by Anne Crawford

Public health strategies targeting men who have sex with men (MSM) may be ineffective because the terminology describing sexual partners used in risk assessments by clinicians is not accurate, a study by Monash University researchers at the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre suggests.

The researchers raised the issue of the definition and classification of partner terminology in MSM in two recent studies focusing on what are called 'fuckbuddies' – defined as regular sexual partners with whom men have ongoing sexual contact, generally in the absence of romantic attachment.

‘Summer loving’ survey attracts international attention

Image: 'Summer Feet'

by Anne Crawford

The temperature rises, the rosé flows freely, the barbeque and party invitations are plentiful and online dating spikes. Summer is the season when we’re out and about more and - anecdotally - having more flings.

Melbourne Sexual Health Centre researchers investigated whether sexual activity was in fact seasonally different and if there was a correlation with sexually transmitted infections (STI).

Gonorrhoea spike linked with policing of sex workers

by Anne Crawford

A study has linked an epidemic of gonorrhoea in South Australia with increased policing of female sex workers when carrying condoms was used as evidence for convictions.

The study was overseen by Professor Kit Fairley of the Central Clinical School and head of the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, and researched by doctoral student Bin Li, supported by Dr Eric Chow and others.