Comparison of client characteristics by two-stage recruitment for the provincial STI clinic and GetCheckedOnline samples
| Client characteristics† | Consented to be contacted for research‡ | Not consented to be contacted for research‡ | Participated | Did not participate |
| GetCheckedOnline sample (n) | 100 | 281 | 73 | 27 |
| Age: median (range) | 35 (19–58) | 32 (17–72) | 35 (19–58) | 36 (23–55) |
| Male gender | 67/100 (67%) | 203/281 (72%) | 45/73 (62%) | 22/27 (81%) |
| Indigenous | 2/98 (2%) | 3/269 (1%) | 2/71 (3%) | 0/27 (0%) |
| Non-indigenous, non-Caucasian | 25/98 (26%) | 70/269 (26%) | 18/71 (25%) | 7/27 (26%) |
| Man who has sex with men | 48/100 (48%) | 81/281 (29%)* | 29/73 (40%) | 19/27 (70%)* |
| Woman who has sex with women | 4/100 (4%) | 12/281 (4%) | 2/73 (3%) | 2/27 (7%) |
| 4+ partners (3 months) | 29/93 (31%) | 67/268 (25%) | 19/68 (28%) | 10/25 (40%) |
| Tested for HIV | 94/100 (94%) | 266/281 (95%) | 68/73 (93%) | 26/27 (96%) |
| Symptoms of an STI | 11/97 (11%) | 54/275 (20%) | 8/71 (11%) | 3/26 (12%) |
| Contact of partner with STI | 8/94 (9%) | 25/276 (9%) | 5/68 (7%) | 3/26 (12%) |
| No previous STI/HIV test | 4/100 (4%) | 31/281 (11%) | 3/73 (4%) | 1/27 (4%) |
| Positive result (any STBBI) | 3/100 (3%) | 8/281 (3%) | – | – |
| Provincial STI clinic sample (n) | 811 | 3144 | 321 | 490 |
| Age: median (range) | 30 (17–77) | 32 (13–92)* | 30 (18–74) | 30 (17–77) |
| Male gender | 469/811 (58%) | 2175/3144 (69%)* | 159/321 (50%) | 310/490 (63%)* |
| Indigenous | 5/506 (1%) | 34/2177 (2%) | 4/222 (2%) | 1/284 (0.4%) |
| Non-indigenous, non-Caucasian | 129/506 (25%) | 831/2177 (35%)* | 47/222 (21%) | 87/284 (29%) |
| Homosexual or bisexual | 130/573 (23%) | 431/2380 (18%)* | 63/242 (26%) | 67/331 (20%) |
| Number partners (6 months): median (range) | 2 (0–100) | 2 (0–300) | 2 (0–30) | 2 (0–100) |
| Tested for HIV | 698/811 (86%) | 2594/3144 (83%)* | 286/321 (89%) | 412/490 (84%) |
| Positive result (any STBBI) | 63/811 (8%) | 249/3144 (8%) | – | – |
* P<0.05, statistical comparisons between invited versus not invited, and participants versus non-participants.
†Data extracted from two administrative data systems, with varying patient-level variables available for analysis in each dataset meaning direct comparisons between datasets not always possible.
‡All clients who consented to be contacted for research were invited to participate.
STBBI, sexually transmitted and bloodborne infections.