Factors associated with sexually transmitted disease clinic attendance.
Most people in the United States who are infected with sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) do not attend STD clinics for treatment in spite of the low-cost efficacious treatment. We asked a clinic and a community sample about perceived benefits and problems of attending an STD clinic. Analyses yielded two treatment-oriented and two socially oriented, factors, which were also expressed in qualitative interviews. Further analyses suggested that treatment-oriented factors were more strongly associated with clinic attendance than were social factors, although respondents were more positive about expected quality of treatment than they were about retaining confidentiality. We suggest that implications of the results favor integrating STD care with other health care.
Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of STD prevention, Mail Stop E-44, 1600 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA. mhogben@cdc.gov
Matthew
M
Hogben
Fred
F
Bloom
Mary
M
McFarlane
Janet S
JS
St Lawrence
C Kevin
CK
Malotte
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002648:Child; D003219:Confidentiality; D003657:Decision Making; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D012752:Shame; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology