Abstract. Dental dams are distributed and promoted in some safer sex campaigns for use in oral sex. However, whether and how often dams are used for sex between Australian women remains unknown. We investigated the use of dental dams for sex by lesbians and other women who have sex with women, and the relationship between dam use and sexual risk for this group. In 2004, a self-completion questionnaire was distributed to women attending the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Fair Day and lesbian community venues and health services in Sydney (n = 543). Among the 330 women who had had oral sex with a woman in the previous 6 months, 9.7% had used a dental dam and 2.1% had used one 'often'. There was little evidence of dam use for prevention of sexually transmissible infections. Although women who practised rimming (oral-anal contact) or had fetish sex involving blood were more likely to have used a dam, dam use was not significantly more common among women who had more partners, or had casual or group sex. Some women avoided oral sex during menstruation or had oral sex with a tampon in place. Latex gloves and condoms were used by more women and more often than dams.

OBJECTIVES. To guide development of a hepatitis B control program in China, we investigated village doctors' sterilization practices, injection use, vaccination levels, and knowledge and counseling skills. METHODS. The head doctor from each village health station in a rural county (n = 260) completed a self-administered questionnaire. RESULTS. Of the respondents, 94.2% reported adequate sterilization of needles; however, inadequate sterilization of syringes and acupuncture needles was common. Injections were found to be frequent and profitable. Of head doctors, 16.2% reported that most infants in their villages are vaccinated against hepatitis B. There was very high knowledge of modes of hepatitis B transmission, but it was not used to formulate advice for a hypothetical carrier. Knowledge of the consequences, prevalence, and use of condoms to prevent sexual transmission was lower. CONCLUSIONS. The sterilization of acupuncture needles, reuse of syringes, and frequent injections are practices that may transmit the hepatitis B virus. Research into issues of vaccine acceptance is needed to expand immunization. A review of treatment practices and better training in counseling for village doctors is suggested.

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Australia has been a global leader in balancing public health law, human rights and HIV. The first National HIV/AIDS Strategy launched in 1989 set the agenda for law reform. The Intergovernmental Committee on AIDS subsequently established a legal working party with one of its key tasks to formulate public health legislation that would protect public health and human rights. The NSW Public Health Act 1991 has provided the framework for managing HIV in NSW over the subsequent decades. Recent changes to criminal law in NSW and opportunities to redefine public health law may affect how HIV transmission risks are managed in the future.