How do young adults perceive the risk of chlamydia infection? A qualitative study

Abstract

Objectives. This study aimed to improve understanding of how young UK genito‐urinary medicine (GUM) patients perceive the risk of chlamydia, and identify implications for health education.Design. A qualitative methodology was chosen.Methods. Semi‐structured interviews with 27 respondents aged 16–22 years old were conducted. Data were subjected to thematic analysis.Results. Respondents made assessments of the perceived seriousness of, and their personal susceptibility to, chlamydia infection. Judgements about seriousness were related to beliefs about the controllability of symptoms and the long‐term health consequences of infection. Susceptibility estimates were related to beliefs about the extent to which personal exposure put them in contact with chlamydia, and about the prevalence of infection amongst their peer group. This is consistent with the content of illness risk representations proposed by Cameron (2003). Respondents demonstrated some beliefs, which appeared to influence perceptions of seriousness and susceptibility in unhelpful ways.Conclusions. Young people may be underestimating their risk of chlamydia infection due to the presence of unhelpful beliefs. Dialogue between health professionals and patients within GUM clinics, or through consultations as part of the National Chlamydia Screening Programme (NCSP), could provide vehicles to deliver health education to target these. Suggested health education includes highlighting false reassurance provided by treatment beliefs and exposing the fallibility of using overt characteristics to judge the likelihood that a potential sexual partner poses a risk of infection.

Talking about links between sexually transmitted infections and infertility with college and university students from SE England, UK: a qualitative study

“…This disparity may primarily be due to the differences in age and educational levels of the samples, and the different methods of data collection. The present study found that whilst most people knew STIs could cause infertility in females, awareness of the effect on male fertility was lower, which is in concordance with the literature [26,27]. We found no clear gender differences in level of understanding.…”

“…Previous research has demonstrated that young people have a poor awareness of the link between STIs and infertility [19,23,24] whereas others have reported the opposite [25-27]. This disparity may primarily be due to the differences in age and educational levels of the samples, and the different methods of data collection.…”

“…Participants in our study felt that more education about the pathophysiology would help their understanding and perhaps lead to decreased risk taking behaviour or increased testing rates. Previous research has also found that focusing on how the bacteria can spread through the pelvic organs in the weeks following STI transmission may be more appropriate than just discussing future chances of infertility [27]. …”

Non-participation in chlamydia screening in the Netherlands: determinants associated with young people’s intention to participate in chlamydia screening

“…This study shows that one way to significantly increase the intention and the intention-predicting variables to screen is giving informational invitation letters. Moreover, assuming that low susceptibility is the cause of a low intention, more research is needed on whether there is a discrepancy between perceived susceptibility and real susceptibility and what the possible reasons for this discrepancy are [27]. …”

Self-perceived risk and prevalent chlamydia infection among adolescents in Norway: a population-based cross-sectional study

“…Adolescents’ self-perceived risk of C. trachomatis infection may be influenced by its mostly asymptomatic course,5 limited personal experience of STIs, wrong beliefs due to lack of specific knowledge,6 and by the influence of alcohol and drugs while making sexual decisions 7. Subjective invulnerability and an optimistic bias related to one's own sexual health may alter personal risk perception 2 8–10.…”