Objectives: We sought to explore sexual health service clients' perspectives, preferences and suggestions for how to better address or alleviate anxiety among clients of sexual health services (eg, sexually transmitted infection testing) regarding both online and in-person sexual health services among those who experience persistent anxiety.
Methods: We conducted qualitative interviews with 27 sexual health service clients with persistent experiences of anxiety in British Columbia, Canada. Participants were recruited from respondents to a COVID-19-related sexual health survey who consented to follow up. Interviews were conducted via Zoom, recorded and transcribed. Transcripts were coded and analysed using thematic analysis by searching for themes in order to summarise the experiences and needs of participants.
Results: The median participant age was 34. 16 participants identified as women, 10 as men and 1 each as non-binary and gender fluid. Participants described anxiety related to sexual health service access and experiences due to sexual health-related stigma and privacy concerns; provider judgement and lack of communication or information regarding test results. They suggested that routinely integrating discussions with providers about mental health in sexually transmitted and bloodborne infection (STBBI) testing appointments may help clients feel safer and could connect them to support. They highlighted the need for personal and genuine interactions with providers (eg, making appointments feel less perfunctory, asking clients how they are feeling about why they are there) and sufficient time with providers (eg, not feeling rushed through the appointment, time to discuss resources, testing and advice).
Conclusions: Disease-specialised health services may not adequately address the multifaceted and inter-related mental health needs of people accessing services. In STBBI testing service settings, more personalised appointments, additional communication with providers and easier access to results can help improve both the service experiences of people experiencing persistent anxiety and their connections to appropriate mental health support.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11812826 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjph-2023-000625 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Factors associated with placement along the HIV prevention and care continuum among sexual minority men who use methamphetamine.
AIDS Care
March 2025
Center for Behavioral and Addiction Medicine, Department of Family Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Methamphetamine use among sexual minority men (SMM) has been associated with poor ART adherence, and reduced initiation and adherence to PrEP. From May 2021 to May 2023, 226 SMM were enrolled in , a culturally responsive smartphone application to reduce methamphetamine use and improve sexual health. Using a status-neutral approach, an ordinal variable reflected participants' placement on the HIV Prevention/Care Continuum, from HIV-positive, not taking ART, to HIV-negative, currently taking PrEP.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAssessment of Fraud Deterrence and Detection Procedures Used in a Web-Based Survey Study With Adult Black Cisgender Women: Description of Lessons Learned and Recommendations.
JMIR Form Res
March 2025
Department of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work, Florida International University, Miami, FL, United States.
Background: Online research studies enable engagement with more Black cisgender women in health-related research. However, fraudulent data collection responses in online studies raise important concerns about data integrity, particularly when incentives are involved.
Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the strengths and limitations of fraud deterrence and detection procedures implemented in an incentivized, cross-sectional, online study about HIV prevention and sexual health with Black cisgender women living in Texas.
Agency, sex and drug education: Examining the response-ability of education responses to consumption, sex and harm.
Health (London)
March 2025
Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society, La Trobe University, Australia.
This article examines how drug education professionals understand and respond to the relationship between alcohol and other drug consumption, sex and harm. While recent research examines how these issues are addressed in drug education curriculum, little is known about the perspectives of professionals involved in education design and delivery. Research suggests that agency is centrally important for understanding experiences of harmful, pleasurable or ambiguous sexual encounters in consumption settings.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFModulation of germinal center and antibody dynamics via ipsilateral versus contralateral immunization against SARS-CoV-2.
J Immunol
March 2025
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Human clinical trials have reported immunological outcomes can differ between ipsilateral (same side) and contralateral (alternate sides) prime-boost vaccination. However, our mechanistic understanding of how keeping or shifting the anatomical sites of immunization impacts the resultant germinal centers (GCs) and antibody responses is limited. Here, we use an adjuvanted SARS-CoV-2 spike vaccine to dissect GC dynamics in draining lymph nodes and serological outcomes following ipsilateral or contralateral prime-boost vaccination in C57BL/6 mice.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUtilization of long-acting contraceptive methods and associated factor among women of reproductive age in East Africa: A multi-level analysis of recent Demographic and Health Surveys.
PLoS One
March 2025
Department of Optometry, School of Medicine, University of Gondar, Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Gondar, Ethiopia.
Background: Comprehensive family planning is essential for reproductive health, allowing individuals to make informed choices about family size and enhancing maternal and child health. Long-acting contraceptives (LACs) are known for their high efficacy and consistent use. This study examines the prevalence and determinants of LAC utilization among women of reproductive-age in 11 East African countries.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!