Chlamydia trachomatis is a common bacterial infection in the western world. Chlamydial infection contributes to significant morbidity in females. Untreated infections can cause pelvic inflammatory disease, with resultant chronic pelvic pain, tubal factor infertility and/or ectopic pregnancy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge of chlamydia and to determine potential barriers and facilitating factors for screening in young Victorian women.

Endometriosis is a known cause of dysmenorrhoea and pelvic pain; however the severity of symptoms does not always correlate with the clinical stage of disease. During laparoscopic investigation for pelvic pain, an incidental finding of endometriosis may limit exploration of potential psychosocial contributing factors, such as a history of sexual abuse. This study aimed to examine the prevalence of sexual abuse (both childhood sexual abuse ‘CSA’, and unwanted adolescent sexual experiences ‘UASE') in young women with biopsy-confirmed endometriosis, as well as those attending well-women's clinics at gynaecological hospitals; and also to see if results are comparable between the two groups.

Background: Recent ACOG (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) and ASCCP (American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology) guidelines recommend delayed onset of cervical screening and less aggressive management for high grade cervical dysplasia in adolescents; therefore examination of risk factors for early onset cervical carcinoma is the focus of investigation worldwide. The aim of our study is to examine the association between reproductive factors and the risk of early onset cervical carcinoma and high grade cervical dysplasia (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 3 and adenocarcinoma insitu) ≤ 25 years of age.

Background: CSA is associated with long-term adverse effects, including significant psychological morbidity, sexual revictimization, risk taking behaviours (such as substance abuse) and increased gynecological presentations. Recent Australian community studies have shown that prevalence of penetrative CSA in females is high, 2-7 % (Fleming MJA 1997, Mazza MJA 2001). Therefore screening for previous CSA in an adolescent gynecology setting is an important component of care and risk assessment, although many physicians are not comfortable asking direct questions regarding CSA. The aim of this study was to assess the agreement between age of first intercourse and history of penetrative or attempted penetrative CSA in Victorian adolescents and young women.