Essential sexual health clinic reopens in Adelaide’s north
Sexual health service provider SHINE SA has reopened a clinic in Adelaide’s north, giving the area greater access to important sexual and reproductive health services.
SHINE SA’s Davoren Park clinic has been reestablished with a focus on cervical cancer screenings.
Chief Executive Officer, Holley Skene, told InDaily that Adelaide’s north was underrepresented in coverage rates for cervical screenings, despite accounting for nearly a quarter of the state’s cervical cancer cases.
“There are some of the lowest coverage rates for cervical screening participation in Adelaide’s north, sitting at around 52 per cent compared to the South Australian average of 64 per cent,” she said.
“We’re very pleased to be able to support enhancing and increasing access to this life-saving service in an area of high need.”
Skene said that in the year prior to the reopening of the clinic, 22 per cent of SHINE SA’s clients were having to travel up to one and a half hours on public transport to access their services in the city or Woodville.
Preventive Health SA Chief Executive, Marina Bowshall, said that cervical cancer was one of the most preventable cancers, and that most cases occur in those who have never been screened or do not screen regularly.
“Removing barriers and increasing access for under-screened South Australians is about health equity and is key to us working towards the nationally endorsed targets to eliminate cervical cancer,” Bowshall said.
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South Australia’s cervical cancer rate is 7.7 cases per 100,000 women, which is almost double the state’s target of fewer than 4 cases per 100,000.
The clinic’s opening comes at a time where rates of syphilis and other Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) are on the rise.
Syphilis was declared a Communicable Disease Incident of National Significance by Australia’s Chief Medical Officer, Professor Michael Kidd, earlier in August.
There have already been more than 3,600 new cases of infectious syphilis across Australia in 2025, and 11 cases of congenital syphilis leading to four infant deaths.
Skene said this was particularly concerning given the severe health impacts of syphilis if left untreated.
“We’ve seen people turning up in emergency departments with partial blindness or partial deafness and not knowing why, and after multiple tests and multiple different doctor’s appointments, finally someone testing them for syphilis and finding that was the cause.”
She also explained that syphilis can be hard to detect, often having no symptoms.
“Because of the stigma surrounding STIs like syphilis, sometimes there’s a reluctance on either side to either ask for the test or for a clinician to suggest the test,” she said.
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Syphilis is particularly dangerous in pregnant women, as it can be passed onto their babies as congenital syphilis, which can cause serious disability or death.
“It’s really important we keep up the message that screening, particularly during pregnancy, is critical to prevent congenital syphilis, because it’s treatable, it’s curable, and it’s preventable.”
Access to health care for prevention, early diagnosis and treatment is key to preventing the serious impacts of STIs and ending the Australian HIV epidemic by 2030.
The Davoren Park clinic was initially closed in 2019 after budget cuts by the former Liberal state government, a move which was met with widespread protests from doctors.
Member for Spence, Matt Burnell, said that the closure “left a significant gap in local healthcare, particularly for STI prevention and treatment.”
To address that gap, the Federal and State Labor governments have agreed to commit a combined total of over $2 million for the re-opening of the clinic and provision of its services.
The Federal government has contributed $1.92 million as part of their National Strategy for Elimination of Cervical Cancer in Australia. The Strategy’s main aim is to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health issue by 2035.
Federal Health, Disability & Aging Minister, Mark Butler, explained that achieving this goal would make Australia the first country in the world to do so.
“One of my priorities is tackling inequities in our health system, and that includes making cervical cancer screening accessible, inclusive and culturally safe for all,” he said.
The State government has committed more than $247,000 this financial year to deliver free clinical services on site. State Health & Wellbeing Minister, Chris Picton, said the investment would help South Australians access life-saving cervical cancer screening and other important sexual and reproductive health services.
“The Malinauskas and Albanese Labor governments know how important these services are which is why we have committed funding to enable the clinic to reopen and offer expanded health care services,” Picton said.
To find out more or book an appointment, call 8300 5300 or visit the Davoren Park Clinic page on the SHINE SA website.
