Brief encounters
PRIMARY CARE AND STIS
The National Strategy for Sexual Health and HIV proposed moving much care for STIs from the GUM clinic setting into primary care, as yet there are few data on the feasibility and acceptability of this new “point of delivery” for STI management. Cassell et al carried out a cross sectional survey of new patients attending an outer London GUM clinic. Of all attendees with an STI 39.9% had already seen a GP for their current problem, before they attended the GUM clinic. Duration of symptoms was significantly longer in those who had seen a GP first compared to those who went straight to the GUM clinic. Of those who had not seen a GP first a third cited the convenience of GUM clinic access or difficulties in accessing primary care services as a factor in their health care interaction. By contrast only 3% mentioned embarrassment as being a reason for not seeing their GP with their STI. Clearly primary care is already …
