Delay in Seeking Care for Sexually Transmitted Diseases in Young Men and Women Attending a Public STD Clinic.
BACKGROUND
Delay in seeking care for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) has adverse consequences for both the individual and population. We sought to identify factors associated with delay in seeking care for STDs.


METHODS
Subjects included 300 young men and women (aged 15-24) attending an urban STD clinic for a new STD-related problem due to symptoms or referral for an STD screening. Subjects completed a structured interview that evaluated STD history, attitudes and beliefs about STDs, depression, substance use, and other factors possibly associated with delay. Delay was defined as waiting > 7 days to seek and obtain care for STDs.


RESULTS
Nearly one-third of participants delayed seeking care for > 7 days. Significant predictors for delay included self-referral for symptoms as the reason for visit (OR 5.3, 95% CI: 2.58 - 10.98), and the beliefs "my partner would blame me if I had an STD" (OR 2.44, 95% CI: 1.30 - 4.60) and "it's hard to find time to get checked for STDs" (OR 3.62, 95% CI: 1.95 - 6.69), after adjusting for age, race, sex, and other factors. Agreeing with the statement "would use a STD test at home if one were available" was associated with a decrease in delay (OR 0.24, 95% CI: 0.09 - 0.60).


CONCLUSIONS
Many young persons delay seeking care for STDs for a number of reasons. Strategies to improve STD care-seeking include encouragement of symptomatic persons to seek medical care more rapidly, reduction of social stigmas, and improved access to testing options.
Department of Neurosciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
Angela M
AM
Malek
Chung-Chou H
CC
Chang
Duncan B
DB
Clark
Robert L
RL
Cook
Delay; healthcare-seeking behavior; men; sexually transmitted diseases; symptoms; women.