title: Young adults' preferred options for receiving chlamydia screening test results: a cross-sectional survey of 6085 young adults.
abstract: We investigated how young adults aged 18-29 years would like to be notified of chlamydia screening test results, and, when they test positive, their willingness and preferred mechanism for informing their partners. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 6085 young adults and found that a call to their mobile phone was their preferred way of receiving positive test results (selected by 50%), followed by email. Text messages (short message service [SMS]) and calls to landline phones were unpopular options, selected by between 5 and 10%. Over 75% of respondents stated they would inform their current partner of a positive chlamydia diagnosis, and 50% would inform their previous partners. Most were willing to receive yearly reminders to go for a chlamydia test. Young adults preference for being informed of chlamydia test results by mobile phone call, rather than by email or SMS text, especially if they test positive, suggests they place high value on the security of the communication mechanism. Offering a range of mechanisms for receipt of test results may increase the acceptability and coverage of sexually transmitted infection (STI) control strategies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Public Health Medicine, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Brugha
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Balfe
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Conroy
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Clarke
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fitzgerald
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: O'Connell
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Jeffares
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vaughan
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fleming
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: O'Donovan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003219:Confidentiality / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D016358:Contact Tracing / Q000379:methods*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008219:Lymphogranuloma Venereum / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult