Knowledge, attitudes and education background of sexually transmitted disease clinic attenders

Summary

IN a study of 369 STD clinic attenders in Belfast, female patients had better secondary education than male patients. The ages, sex and sexual orientation of the patients corresponded with previous studies. While female patients worried about the embarrassment of the examination (62%) or treatment (53%), male patients were worried about the treatment being painful (50%). Male patients (62%) were more worried than female patients (50%) (p<0.005) about being identified at the clinic or about their families finding out (male = 68%, female = 61%, p<0.005) about their attendance. Patients would value further information about STD, especially the symptoms, signs, treatment, epidemiology and prevention of STD. Of males 66% and females 56% (p<0.01) were worried about telling their sexual partners of their diagnosis. While 88% believed STD could be cured, 88% were worried about the possible sequelae. Of males, 11% found out about the clinic from a sexual partner compared with 40% of female (p<0.01). In contrast 26% of males and 8% of females found out about the clinic from a friend who was not a sexual partner (p<0.01).