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Barriers to sexually transmitted infection testing in New Zealand: a qualitative study

Barriers to sexually transmitted infection testing in New Zealand: a qualitative study
Barriers to sexually transmitted infection testing in New Zealand: a qualitative study
Objective: to investigate the barriers that prevent or delay people seeking a sexually transmitted infection (STI) test.

Methods: qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted with 24 university students, who are a group prone to behaviours putting them at risk of STIs, to understand the factors that had prevented or delayed them from going for an STI test in the past. Resulting data were thematically analysed employing a qualitative content analysis method, and a final set of themes identified.

Results: there were three main types of barrier to STI testing. These were: personal (underestimating risk, perceiving STIs as not serious, fear of invasive procedure, self-consciousness in genital examination and being too busy); structural (financial cost of test and clinician attributes and attitude); and social (concern of being stigmatised).

Conclusions and implications for public health: these data will help health providers and policy-makers provide services that minimise barriers and develop effective strategies for improving STI testing rates. The results of this study suggest a holistic approach to encouraging testing is required, which includes addressing personal beliefs, working with healthcare providers to minimise structural barriers and developing initiatives to change social views about STIs.
1326-0200
432-437
Denison, Hayley J.
65475cfd-bdb1-4b02-844e-b2e8f0b1ac46
Bromhead, Collette
f72a8ee3-2d85-4308-a689-1bca8e5b5ed8
Grainger, Rebecca
16826e50-56c6-4544-92d6-0fe47e878095
Dennison, Elaine
ee647287-edb4-4392-8361-e59fd505b1d1
Jutel, A.
9911a69b-3afb-425f-b0dd-cb053fa374c7
Denison, Hayley J.
65475cfd-bdb1-4b02-844e-b2e8f0b1ac46
Bromhead, Collette
f72a8ee3-2d85-4308-a689-1bca8e5b5ed8
Grainger, Rebecca
16826e50-56c6-4544-92d6-0fe47e878095
Dennison, Elaine
ee647287-edb4-4392-8361-e59fd505b1d1
Jutel, A.
9911a69b-3afb-425f-b0dd-cb053fa374c7

Denison, Hayley J., Bromhead, Collette, Grainger, Rebecca, Dennison, Elaine and Jutel, A. (2017) Barriers to sexually transmitted infection testing in New Zealand: a qualitative study. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 41 (4), 432-437. (doi:10.1111/1753-6405.12680).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Objective: to investigate the barriers that prevent or delay people seeking a sexually transmitted infection (STI) test.

Methods: qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted with 24 university students, who are a group prone to behaviours putting them at risk of STIs, to understand the factors that had prevented or delayed them from going for an STI test in the past. Resulting data were thematically analysed employing a qualitative content analysis method, and a final set of themes identified.

Results: there were three main types of barrier to STI testing. These were: personal (underestimating risk, perceiving STIs as not serious, fear of invasive procedure, self-consciousness in genital examination and being too busy); structural (financial cost of test and clinician attributes and attitude); and social (concern of being stigmatised).

Conclusions and implications for public health: these data will help health providers and policy-makers provide services that minimise barriers and develop effective strategies for improving STI testing rates. The results of this study suggest a holistic approach to encouraging testing is required, which includes addressing personal beliefs, working with healthcare providers to minimise structural barriers and developing initiatives to change social views about STIs.

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More information

Accepted/In Press date: 1 March 2017
e-pub ahead of print date: 29 June 2017
Published date: August 2017

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 412573
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/412573
ISSN: 1326-0200
PURE UUID: d7f06ea8-b754-4344-af7f-ffdf89f72622
ORCID for Elaine Dennison: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-3048-4961

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 21 Jul 2017 16:31
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 02:52

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Contributors

Author: Hayley J. Denison
Author: Collette Bromhead
Author: Rebecca Grainger
Author: Elaine Dennison ORCID iD
Author: A. Jutel

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