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SEXUAL HEALTH FRONTLINE
A Passion for Men's Health Proves Satisfying
In the constantly eveolving field of HIV medicine,
Dr Andrew Gowers (right) is one GP who thrives at
being at the forefront.
The Darlinghurst-based doctor began his training in
New Zealand and says he had little idea of what a
career in medicine would involve. But he soon found
his passion.
“It was the general practice I enjoyed, I liked
the style of medicine, the ongoing contact with patients,
the idea of being self-employed,” he says.
A period working on the HIV ward at Sydney’s
St Vincent’s Hospital sparked his ongoing interest
in HIV medicine and research.
Since 1998 he has been based at Holdsworth House Medical
Practice in Darlinghurst, where he specialises in
men’s health, HIV and hepatitis C.
“It’s an interesting area that is always
changing,” he says.
“I get up in the morning and I look forward
to going to work - it’s helping people and it’s
making a difference.”
“With a little bit of effort to sort out any
unresolved issues or problems, people can live long,
very satisfying, productive lives with HIV infection
- and helping them do that is very satisfying.”
On the Sexual Health Frontline
Christmas is “like Grand Central Station”
at Dr Dick Quan’s inner-city practice on busy
Oxford Street in Sydney.
Patients’ tendency to over-indulge in alcohol
over the festive season, and the associated loss of
inhibitions, leads to a stream of patients seeking
Dr Quan’s sexual health expertise.
“It usually starts in late November and goes
on until March - it’s the absolute peak season,”
Dr Quan says.
Dr Quan, pictured, works at the nine-GP Holdsworth
House Medical Practice, where he and several colleagues
specialise in sexual health, including HIV and AIDS.
Patients visiting the practice during summer, while
their usual GP is on leave, help to supplement the
spike in the number seeking tests and treatment for
sexual health issues, Dr Quan says.
Requests for travel vaccinations also increase as
Sydneysiders make plans to go away for holidays.
An influx of overseas tourists puts extra demands
on the language skills of Dr Quan, who speaks Chinese
and some French and Italian, and the other multilingual
GPs.
But despite the heavy load, Dr Quan still plans to
take some time off over Christmas - an advantage of
working in multi-doctor practice.
Katherine Fleming
See Also:
Sexual Health
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