title: Perceptions of Self-Testing for Chlamydia: Understanding and Predicting Self-Test Use.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Self-testing technology allows people to test themselves for chlamydia without professional support. This may result in reassurance and wider access to chlamydia testing, but anxiety could occur on receipt of positive results. This study aimed to identify factors important in understanding self-testing for chlamydia outside formal screening contexts, to explore the potential impacts of self-testing on individuals, and to identify theoretical constructs to form a Framework for future research and intervention development.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighteen university students participated in semi-structured interviews; eleven had self-tested for chlamydia. Data were analysed thematically usingaFrameworkapproach.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Perceivedbeneﬁtsofself-testingincludeditsbeingconvenient, anonymousandnotrequiringphysicalexamination. Therewasconcernabouttestaccuracyandsome participants lacked conﬁdence in using vulvo-vaginal swabs. While some participants expressed concern about the absence of professional support, all said they would seek help on receiving a positive result. Factors identiﬁed in Protection Motivation Theory and the Theory of Planned Behaviour, such as response efﬁcacy and self-efﬁcacy, were found to be highly salient to participants in thinking about self-testing.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These exploratory ﬁndings suggest that self-testing independentlyofformalhealthcaresystemsmaynomorenegativelyimpactpeoplethanbeingtested by health care professionals. Participants' perceptions about self-testing behaviour were consistent with psychological theories. Findings suggest that interventions which increase conﬁdence in using self-tests and that provide reassurance of test accuracy may increase self-test intentions.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychological Sciences &#38; Manchester Centre for Health Psychology, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom. rachael.powell@manchester.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Rachael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Powell
authors.affiliation: School of Life and Health Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham B4 7ET, United Kingdom. h.m.pattison@aston.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Helen M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Pattison
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, United Kingdom. J.F.Marriott@bham.ac.uk.
authors.forename: John F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Marriott
keywords: Protection Motivation Theory; Theory of Planned Behaviour; chlamydia; home testing; self-testing