Comparison of STD burden and risk among men with and without regular doctors attending a southern urban STD clinic.
BACKGROUND
Studies addressing health-seeking behaviors among men at risk for STD are few; this study examines how having a regular doctor might influence risk-taking or STD prevalence.


OBJECTIVE
The goal was to examine demographic, sexual, and health-seeking characteristics of male STD clinic attendees.


METHODS
Randomly selected men attending an STD clinic answered a questionnaire regarding the aforementioned characteristics. The men were stratified according to whether they reported having a regular doctor.


RESULTS
Of 467 men, 32% reported a regular doctor. These men were more likely to be older, to be better educated, and to state they would seek care for a medical problem at a doctor's office. The two groups did not differ in STD history or prostitute exposure; men without doctors were more likely to have urethritis and STD, although the men with doctors had substantial STD rates.


CONCLUSIONS
Public health clinics remain an important safety net for the management of STD, even for men who report a regular doctor.
Sizemore
James M
JM
Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 703 19th Street South, 242 Ziegler Research Building, Birmingham, AL 35294-0007, USA.
Sanders
Willa M
WM
Lackey
Phillip C
PC
Ennis
David M
DM
Hook
Edward W
EW
D000328:Adult; D000407:Alabama / Q000453:epidemiology; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities; D017281:Cost of Illness; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014504:Urban Health