RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 P110 Self-taken samples for chlamydia and gonorrhoea in HIV outpatients are acceptable and perceived as reliable and comfortable by patients
JF Sexually Transmitted Infections
JO Sex Transm Infect
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
SP A52
OP A52
DO 10.1136/sextrans-2015-052126.153
VO 91
IS Suppl 1
A1 Adam Croucher
A1 Tracey Buckingham
A1 Daniel Richardson
YR 2015
UL http://sti.bmj.com/content/91/Suppl_1/A52.2.abstract
AB Introduction Self-taken samples increase testing for Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea in high-risk asymptomatic populations including HIV-outpatients. Women are offered self-taken vaginal samples; heterosexual men first-pass urine and MSM self-taken rectal and throat samples and first-pass urine. The acceptability of this method of testing is not well understood. Methods An anonymous paper survey was offered to all patients attending outpatient-HIV clinic June–July 2014. Data collected: age, gender, ethnicity, sexual-orientation; perceptions of self-taken samples; whether they tested that day, and why. Results 121 surveys were returned. Median age = 45(20–69)years; 86% male; 68% white British; 73% homosexual. 61/121(50%) rated STI screening as ‘very important’, 48/121(39%) as ‘worthwhile’: 117/121(96%) rated offering self-taken samples in routine HIV clinic as appropriate. 86/121(71%) found the instructions ‘easy’ to follow and 4/121(3%) ‘difficult’. 78/121(64%) said that they thought that self-taken samples are as reliable compared to clinician-taken and 10/121(8%) thought they were more reliable. 60/121(50%) said self-taken samples were as comfortable as clinician-taken; 30/121(25%) said more comfortable. 33/121(27%) responders did self-sampling that day; 78/121(64%) did not. Participants’ reasons for accepting self-taken samples included: ‘It’s easier/quicker than going to a GUM clinic’ (37%); ‘I prefer doing the swabs myself’ (25%). Reasons for not self-sampling included: ‘I haven’t had any sex since my last sexual health screen’ (26%); ‘I was not offered a STI screen today’ (20%); ‘I prefer to go to a GUM clinic’ (16%). Conclusions The self-swab STI screens are acceptable to patients attending HIV outpatients’, and are perceived as being as reliable and as comfortable as clinician-taken samples.