Kirketon Road Centre

by Sacha Downing, Registered Nurse

(The Gender Centre advise that this article may not be current and as such certain content, including but not limited to persons, contact details and dates may not apply. Where legal authority or medical related matters are cited, responsibility lies with the reader to obtain the most current relevant legal authority and/or medical publication.)

Thank you Lea for providing me with the opportunity to write a few words in Polare about the Kirketon Road Centre (K.R.C.). We would like to think that K.R.C. can meet the needs of your community so I will tell you about some of the services you may not be aware of. For many months I have read Polare and enjoy reading the articles and learning about the many issues and difficulties faced by transgender people. I have been at K.R.C. for a year now working at the Clinic and on the outreach bus where I can be found on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights. Please feel free to pop onto the bus/van or into the centre to put a face to the name.

K.R.C. is very easy to find. We are located in the large red brick building above Darlinghurst Fire Station (entrance on Victoria Street). Once in the door you will float up the stairs amongst clouds and angels where you will be greeted by the very committed K.R.C. crew. We consist of doctors, nurses, counselors and receptionists who are friendly and non-judgmental. The services provided by K.R.C. are specifically for "at risk" youth, injecting drug users (I.D.U.'s), sex workers, male, female and transgender. Our aim is to prevent and minimise H.I.V. / AIDS and other transmissible infections in these populations.

We understand that confidentiality is important to you and this is how we provide it. Upon arrival at K.R.C. you will be given a form to fill out and you will then be given a number. You do not need to use your correct name, however your correct date of birth or something that is easy for you to remember is desirable so that we can retrieve your file on future visits.

After a short wait the triage nurse will call you. In the privacy of the clinical room you can say why you have come and what you need. Who you need to see, i.e. a doctor, nurse or counselor will then be determined. You will then take a seat back in the waiting room until your practitioner calls you.

On your first visit allow one to one and a half hours if you need a full health check up. This does not happen every time, just on your first visit to K.R.C. You will be asked some questions about lifestyle and health issues to determine what your needs are in relation to your level of H.I.V. risk behaviour. A full health check up involves blood tests and genital swabs. Sometimes genital infections are not noticeable therefore a sexual health screen is an important part of your regular health care, especially if you are doing any sex work. For those of you requiring blood tests, we only need to take one small tube of blood for H.I.V., Hepatitis and Syphilis. We usually like to take your blood, however, if you have any concerns and would like to take your own, you can discuss this with your practitioner.

The next part of the regular screen is swabbing for Gonorrhoea and Chlamydia. The parts of your body that can be affected by these treatable infections are throat, penis, urethra, anus, neo-vagina and vagina.

The Penis may need to be swabbed if there is a discharge from the urethra, pain when urinating, general ache in the abdominal area or testes. It is important that you do not urinate for at least 2 to 3 hours before attending the centre. The process involves gently inserting a swab into the urethra. If you would feel happier to do this yourself, please discuss this with your practitioner. If you do not want to have a swab, a urine test may be sufficient.

The anus, if infected, has symptoms of discharge and pain when opening bowels and/or bleeding. The swab of the anus can be a little uncomfortable but does not take long. An anoscope (a small plastic instrument) is inserted into the anus to show any discharge which can be swabbed.

Vaginas consist of mucus membranes which secrete lubrication to keep the skin in the vagina moist and help it stretch without tearing. Neo-vaginas need more care as the tissues may not secrete and with less lubrication tearing of the vagina can occur making it more prone to infection. Using plenty of lubrication for vaginal sex and washing the area with sorbolene is important. Signs of infection to look for in the vagina are a change in your normal discharge, irritation, pain and odour during sex. Having swabs taken involves inserting a speculum into your vagina (a plastic instrument that looks like a duck bill). Swabs are then taken of any discharge. This may be in the cervix of those with a uterus or in the tissues of the vagina for those without.

Pap smears are important as they can pick up any abnormal cell changes that can occur in cervical/vaginal tissues. These cells can be prone to cancerous changes so regular (1-2) yearly pap smears are essential. You can ask your practitioner for further information about this.

Other things to look for are genital ulcers, sores or lumps which can be examined by your practitioner.

Results usually take a week to return and we give all results in person at K.R.C..

Breast and testicular examination are something we like to teach you during your visit. This can be done at the first visit or at a later date. It involves checking your breasts/testes for any lumps that feel abnormal or painful. These checks are important for everyone's health, especially if taking hormones.

If you are taking hormones it is important to know as much as possible, not just for the optimum results but also to know the potential long term and short term side effects. Hormones can be prescribed and monitored at K.R.C. Feel free to consult one of the doctors at K.R.C. about this.

Both male and female counselors can be seen at any time during clinic hours (9:00am - 8:00pm) and on outreach. They are skilled in managing gender and relationship issues, drug and alcohol problems and stress management to name a few. They can also help you in other areas such as housing and social security.

Thanks again for giving me the time to talk to you through Polare. I hope this has enlightened your readers about the services offered at K.R.C., and also hope to see some of you at K.R.C. or on outreach.

Polare is published in Australia by The Gender Centre Inc. which is funded by the Department of Community Services under the S.A.A.P. Program and supported by the N.S.W. Health Department through the AIDS and Infectious Diseases Branch. Polare provides a forum for discussion and debate on gender issues. Advertisers are advised that all advertising is their responsibility under the Trade Practices Act. Unsolicited contributions are welcome, though no guarantee is made by the Editor that they will be published, nor any discussion entered into. The editor reserves the right to edit such contributions without notification. Any submission which appears in Polare may be published on our internet site. Opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor, The Gender Centre Inc.I, the Department of Community Services or the N.S.W. Department of Health.