{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,16]],"date-time":"2026-06-16T17:55:25Z","timestamp":1781632525893,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":29,"publisher":"BMJ","funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/100012737","name":"Department of Health, State Government of Victoria","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["#2025960"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["#2025960"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100012737","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["bmj.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Sex Transm Infect"],"accepted":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,19]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Objectives<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Sexually transmitted infections (STI) testing is less frequently accessed in rural and regional Australian communities due to many barriers, including limited access to specialised services and stigma. To address this, we sought to pilot the implementation of STI test kit dispensing vending machines and assess their acceptability and use.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>We conducted a 12-month pilot, placing two free STI test kit vending machines in 4-month intervals across seven rural and regional towns\/cities. We worked with each community to determine ideal placement locations and marketing strategies. We assessed utilisation rates, return rates, positive diagnosis rates and user satisfaction.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The vending machines dispensed 176 STI test kits over a period of 836 days in situ across seven towns\/cities. Users ranged from 17 years to 70 years of age\u2014those over 30 years had a greater odds of travelling over 25\u2009km to access a test compared with younger users (OR 0.53, 95%CI 0.28 to 1.01). A large number (43.9%) of users reported having never completed an STI test before. 32 users returned samples for analysis with 12.5% receiving a positive result. Of the users who rated the vending machine process, 94.0% (79\/84) rated it as \u2018easy\u2019 or \u2018very easy\u2019 to use and 95.6% (86\/90) rated the process as \u2018fast\u2019 or \u2018very fast\u2019.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Our pilot suggests that STI test kit vending machines are an acceptable testing option for a wide range of users in rural and regional communities. Further research is necessary to understand how to improve return rates in order to improve sustainability.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1136\/sextrans-2025-056892","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,16]],"date-time":"2026-06-16T17:20:31Z","timestamp":1781630431000},"page":"sextrans-2025-056892","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/crossmarkpolicy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["User characteristics and use patterns in the STI-X STI test vending pilot"],"prefix":"10.1136","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0662-0393","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"David","family":"Evans","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Rural Health\/Centre for Excellence in Rural Sexual Health, The University of Melbourne Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, Shepparton, Victoria, Australia"},{"name":"Mat-Su College, University of Alaska Anchorage, Palmer, Alaska, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kim","family":"Cowen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Rural Health\/Centre for Excellence in Rural Sexual Health, The University of Melbourne Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, Shepparton, Victoria, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ashleigh","family":"Colquhoun","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Rural Health\/Centre for Excellence in Rural Sexual Health, The University of Melbourne Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, Shepparton, Victoria, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Anne-Marie","family":"Kelly","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Rural Health\/Centre for Excellence in Rural Sexual Health, The University of Melbourne Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, Shepparton, Victoria, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jane","family":"Tomnay","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Rural Health\/Centre for Excellence in Rural Sexual Health, The University of Melbourne Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, Shepparton, Victoria, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9329-8501","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jane S","family":"Hocking","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4160-7354","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Teralynn","family":"Ludwick","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"239","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,16]]},"reference":[{"key":"2026061610201927000_sextrans-2025-056892v1.1","unstructured":"King J , Kwon J , McManus H , et al . Available from. HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmissible infections in australia: annual surveillance report 2024. Sydney: The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney; 2024. Available: https:\/\/www.kirby.unsw.edu.au\/research\/reports\/asr2024"},{"key":"2026061610201927000_sextrans-2025-056892v1.2","unstructured":"Australian Institute of Health and Welfare . Canberra: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare; Infectious and communicable diseases, 2024. Available: https:\/\/www.aihw.gov.au\/reports\/australias-health\/infectious-and-communicable-diseases"},{"key":"2026061610201927000_sextrans-2025-056892v1.3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1071\/SH19182"},{"key":"2026061610201927000_sextrans-2025-056892v1.4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"257","DOI":"10.1111\/ajr.12186","article-title":"Increasing access to sexual health care for rural and regional young people: Similarities and differences in the views of young people and service providers","volume":"23","author":"Johnston","year":"2015","journal-title":"Aust J Rural Health"},{"key":"2026061610201927000_sextrans-2025-056892v1.5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"538","DOI":"10.1111\/ajr.13121","article-title":"The Australian health workforce: Disproportionate shortfalls in small rural towns","volume":"32","author":"Cortie","year":"2024","journal-title":"Aust J Rural Health"},{"key":"2026061610201927000_sextrans-2025-056892v1.6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjsrh-2023-201822"},{"key":"2026061610201927000_sextrans-2025-056892v1.7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"411","DOI":"10.31128\/AJGP-06-18-4595","article-title":"Young Australians\u2019 experiences of sexual healthcare provision by general practitioners","volume":"48","author":"Coleman","year":"2019","journal-title":"Aust J Gen Pract"},{"key":"2026061610201927000_sextrans-2025-056892v1.8","article-title":"Privilege and Place: an exploratory study about healthcare bypass behavior","volume":"21","author":"Jackson","year":"2021","journal-title":"Rural Remote Health"},{"key":"2026061610201927000_sextrans-2025-056892v1.9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1186\/s12913-023-10034-4","article-title":"A scoping review of the barriers and facilitators to accessing and utilising mental health services across regional, rural, and remote Australia","volume":"23","author":"Kavanagh","year":"2023","journal-title":"BMC Health Serv Res"},{"key":"2026061610201927000_sextrans-2025-056892v1.10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/ajr.12077"},{"key":"2026061610201927000_sextrans-2025-056892v1.11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1111\/ajr.70092","article-title":"Implementing an Online Sexually Transmitted Infection Testing Service for Young People in Regional and Rural Victoria, Australia: Insights From Local Public Health Authorities","volume":"33","author":"Ware","year":"2025","journal-title":"Aust J Rural Health"},{"key":"2026061610201927000_sextrans-2025-056892v1.12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/sextrans-2024-056292"},{"key":"2026061610201927000_sextrans-2025-056892v1.13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/sextrans-2023-055969"},{"key":"2026061610201927000_sextrans-2025-056892v1.14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0103790","article-title":"Acceptability of using electronic vending machines to deliver oral rapid HIV self-testing kits: a qualitative study","volume":"9","author":"Young","year":"2014","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"key":"2026061610201927000_sextrans-2025-056892v1.15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"680","DOI":"10.1177\/09564624221094965","article-title":"Increasing access to HIV testing for men who have sex with men in Japan using digital vending machine technology","volume":"33","author":"Kaneko","year":"2022","journal-title":"Int J STD AIDS"},{"key":"2026061610201927000_sextrans-2025-056892v1.16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Bell SFE , Coffey L , Mullens AB , et al . \u201cVending machines can increase access to HIV testing for diverse groups at risk of HIV and STI: facilitators for use and additional opportunities.\u201d Australasian Sexual and Reproductive Health Conference 2023. Manly, Sydney 18 - 20 Sep 2023 Australia. CSIRO Publishing 2023. doi:10.1071\/SHv20n5abs","DOI":"10.1071\/SHv20n5abs"},{"key":"2026061610201927000_sextrans-2025-056892v1.17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2024-084786","article-title":"Qualitative evaluation of digital vending machines to improve access to STI and HIV testing in South West England: using a Person-Based Approach","volume":"14","author":"Gobin","year":"2024","journal-title":"BMJ Open"},{"key":"2026061610201927000_sextrans-2025-056892v1.18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.22605\/RRH9867","article-title":"Community acceptability of STI-X - the rural Victorian STI vending machine pilot","volume":"25","author":"Evans","year":"2025","journal-title":"Rural Remote Health"},{"key":"2026061610201927000_sextrans-2025-056892v1.19","unstructured":"Therapeutic Goods Administration . Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) self-tests that are approved in Australia. Canberra: TGA; 27 May 2025, 2025. Available: https:\/\/www.tga.gov.au\/products\/medical-devices\/vitro-diagnostic-devices\/overview\/vitro-diagnostic-ivd-medical-devices\/hiv-testing-australia\/human-immunodeficiency-virus-hiv-self-tests-are-approved-australia [Accessed 20 Nov 2025]."},{"key":"2026061610201927000_sextrans-2025-056892v1.20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1071\/SH22134","article-title":"Australian sexually transmitted infection (STI) management guidelines for use in primary care 2022 update","volume":"20","author":"Ong","year":"2023","journal-title":"Sex Health"},{"key":"2026061610201927000_sextrans-2025-056892v1.21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1090198113486803"},{"key":"2026061610201927000_sextrans-2025-056892v1.22","unstructured":"O\u2019Connor B , Phelon K , Price B , et al . Washington (DC): National Rural Health Association; LGBTQIA+ health in rural America: Policy paper, 2022. 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