Publications by authors named "C H Mercer"
While the impact of social restrictions on sexual and romantic life early in the COVID-19 pandemic has been widely studied, little is known about impacts beyond the initial months. We analyzed responses from 2,098 British adults (aged 18-59) taking part in the Natsal-COVID study (Waves 1 and 2). Participants were recruited via a web panel and surveyed twice: four months and one year after the start of the UK's first national lockdown (July 2020 and March 2021).
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- The National Surveys of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal) aim to estimate the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in Britain through biosampling, evaluating methods for acceptability and response rates.
- Two pilot studies were conducted with participants aged 16-59, who provided urine or vaginal swab samples either during face-to-face interviews or remotely, with feedback collected to assess the processes.
- Out of 261 participants, 62% consented to biosampling, with a higher sample return from face-to-face interviews, indicating general acceptability of the biosampling methods used for STI testing in the national survey.
Article Synopsis
- Novel STI prevention methods like doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis (doxyPEP) and meningococcal B vaccination (4CMenB) are being explored to help control STIs, especially among men and gender-diverse individuals in the UK.
- A survey involving 1,106 participants found that only 34% were aware of antibiotic PEP, with just 8% having reported ever using it; however, 51% expressed an intention to use doxyPEP and 64% for 4CMenB.
- Higher rates of PEP usage and intention to use doxyPEP and 4CMenB were associated with higher sexual risk behaviors and participants who were already using other preventative measures like
Biomedical scientists (BMS) can report sample adequacy during EBUS TBNA using rapid on-site evaluation (ROSE). Despite being able to report exfoliative samples such as pleural fluid cytology and bronchial washings, they are usually not permitted to offer a preliminary diagnostic impression of EBUS TBNA samples. Experienced biomedical scientists can provide a reliable diagnostic impression during ROSE for EBUS samples, with sensitivity and specificity comparable to cytopathologist reporting.
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