Discrete choice experiments attributes and levels
| Attributes | Levels | Description |
| How the STI testing sample is taken | No sample is taken; care is based only on presenting symptoms. | No samples are taken; you are given treatment just based on whether you have symptoms or not. |
| You self-sample at the clinic. | There are different types of samples: urine for men and vaginal swab for women. After being provided with instructions, you could take the sample yourself at a private place at the clinic. | |
| By a healthcare professional at the clinic. | The provider takes a sample when examining you. | |
| How and when you are told if you have an STI | The same day after a 2-hour wait at the clinic by a healthcare professional. | This may be the shortest time you will spend in the clinic in total because diagnosis is based on symptoms only; no samples are taken, so the provider will not know whether you really have an infection or not and will also not know which infection/s you have. |
| The same day after a 4-hour wait at the clinic by a healthcare professional. | You will spend a longer time in the clinic because samples will be taken and tested at the clinic, so you will definitely know if you have an infection and what it is. | |
| In 1–7 days’ time via a secure online website. | You may spend about 2 hours in the clinic because samples will be taken but it will not be tested at the clinic; rather, they will be sent away for testing, so your results will not be available on the same day. You will be given a secure code at the clinic and a website address to check your results privately. If you have an infection, you may still have to go back to the clinic for treatment. | |
| In 1–7 days’ time via text message (SMS). | You may spend about 2 hours in the clinic because samples will be taken but it will not be tested at the clinic; rather, they will be sent away for testing, so your results will not be available on the same day. You will receive a text message when your results are ready, which will either say ‘Your Results Are Ready – No Follow-up Visit Required’ or ‘Your Results Are Ready – Please present at your preferred clinic as soon as possible’. If you have an infection you will have to go back to the clinic for treatment. | |
| How and when treatment for your STI is given if required | From a place near you, such as a local pharmacy. | Medication can be picked up from a local pharmacy. |
| At the clinic during a follow-up appointment. | If you receive an SMS requiring you to revisit the clinic or if the online system indicates you have an infection, you will be required to come back to the clinic to collect your treatment. | |
| At the clinic the same day. | If you are being treated according to your symptoms or not or if you are being tested and the test is being done at the clinic on the same day. | |
| How your partner(s) is/are notified if you have an STI | You notify your partner using a notification slip. | We will give you a slip to take to your partner/s. The slip will inform your partner to attend the clinic for diagnosis and/or treatment. |
| Your partner(s) is/are notified directly by a healthcare professional. | If you prefer, the provider can contact your partner(s) and invite them to the clinic for testing and treatment, without mentioning you. | |
| Expedited partner treatment. | If you are being treated for an infection, you will be given treatment to give to your partner(s) for the same infection. |
SMS, short messaging service.