The VPCNSS has three infections of interest - HIV and STI’s (syphilis, chlamydia and gonorrhoea) - with a specific sentinel surveillance network of high case load primary care clinics established for each infection.

Currently, 18 sentinel sites across the state of Victoria located in primary health care, sexual health services, family planning and hospital settings that have a high case-load of at-risk patients (including men who have sex with men, young people, commercial sex workers and women) are participating in the project.

The sentinel surveillance system involves collection and linking of testing, demographic, and risk behaviour information from all patients undergoing routine testing at sentinel sites.

The system allows for individual testing histories across multiple infections to be linked within individuals and, alongside behavioural data, allows for the estimation of the incidence of infection and the determination of key risk practices associated with transmission.

The sentinel nature of the high caseload clinics means that the VPCNSS currently captures more than 50 percent of all HIV notifications and all syphilis notifications among men who have sex with men in Victoria.

The data generated from the VPCNSS is unique in Australia and has provided valuable data for HIV and other STI policy and strategic planning.

Publications

2014

• Trends in chlamydia positivity among heterosexual patients from the Victorian Primary Care Network for Sentinel Surveillance, 2007-2011.
  Lim MS, El-Hayek C, Goller JL, Fairley CK, Nguyen PL, Hamilton RA, Henning DJ, McNamee KM, Hellard ME, Stoove MA
  Med J Aust. 2014 Feb; 200(3):166-169

2013

• Opt-Out and Opt-In Testing Increases Syphilis Screening of HIV-Positive Men Who Have Sex with Men in Australia.
  Guy R, El-Hayek C, Fairley CK, Wand H, Carr A, McNulty A, Hoy J, Bourne C, McAllister J, Tee BK, Baker D, Roth N, Stoové M, Chen M
  PLoS One. 2013 Aug; 8(8):e71436
• Introduction of a sexual health practice nurse is associated with increased STI testing of men who have sex with men in primary care.
  Snow AF, Vodstrcil LA, Fairley CK, El-Hayek C, Cummings R, Owen L, Roth N, Hellard ME, Chen MY
  BMC Infect Dis. 2013 Jul; 13(1):298
• Is rectal gonorrhoea a lead indicator of HIV transmission among men who have sex with men in Victoria, Australia?
  Wilkinson AL, Lim MS, Stoové M, Fairley CK, Chen M, El-Hayek C, Denham I, Hellard M
  Sex Health. 2013 Jan; 10(2):188-189

2012

• Correlates of Chlamydia trachomatis infection in a primary care sentinel surveillance network.
  Lim MS, Goller JL, Guy R, Gold J, Stoové M, Hocking JS, Fairley CK, Henning D, McNamee K, Owen L, Sheehan P, Hellard ME
  Sex Health. 2012 Jul; 9(3):247-253
• Incidence and risk factors associated with chlamydia in men who have sex with men: a cohort analysis of Victorian Primary Care Network for Sentinel Surveillance data.
  Wilkinson A, El-Hayek C, Fairley CK, Leslie D, Roth N, Tee BK, Hellard ME, Stoové M
  Sex Transm Infect. 2012 Feb; 88(5):319-324

2011

• Risk factors for HIV seroconversion in men who have sex with men in Victoria, Australia: results from a sentinel surveillance system.
  Guy RJ, Spelman T, Stoové M, El-Hayek C, Goller J, Fairley CK, Leslie D, Tee B, Roth N, Grulich AE, Hellard ME
  Sex Health. 2011 Sep; 8(3):319-329
• Impact evaluation of a youth sexually transmissible infection awareness campaign using routinely collected data sources.
  Gold J, Goller J, Hellard M, Lim MS, Hocking J, Fairley CK, Spelman T, McNamee K, Clift P, Guy R
  Sex Health. 2011 Jun; 8(2):234-241

2010

• Establishing a linked sentinel surveillance system for blood-borne viruses and sexually transmissible infections: methods, system attributes and early findings.
  Goller JL, Guy RJ, Gold J, Lim MS, El-Hayek C, Stoové MA, Bergeri I, Fairley CK, Leslie DE, Clift P, White B, Hellard ME
  Sex Health. 2010 Dec; 7(4):425-433
• Does the frequency of HIV and STI testing among men who have sex with men in primary care adhere with Australian guidelines?
  Guy R, Goller JL, Spelman T, El-Hayek C, Gold J, Lim M, Leslie D, Tee BK, Roth N, Anderson J, Fairley CK, Kaldor J, Hellard M
  Sex Transm Infect. 2010 Oct; 86(5):371-376

2007

• A new surveillance system for monitoring HIV infection in Victoria, Australia.
  Guy R, Lim MSC, Wang YH, Medland N, Anderson J, Rothe N, Hellard ME
  Sex Health. 2007 Sep; 4(3):195-199