TY - JOUR
T1 - Access of non-specialist sexual health services by men who have sex with men
T2 - Do they differ from those attending specialist services?
AU - Mebrahtu, Helen
AU - Furegato, Martina
AU - Sile, Bersabeh
AU - Were, John
AU - Mohammed, Hamish
AU - Hughes, Gwenda
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited.
PY - 2018/2/1
Y1 - 2018/2/1
N2 - Objectives Men who have sex with men (MSM) bear a disproportionate burden of STIs. While routine STI surveillance data suggest MSM regularly access specialist genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics for their sexual healthcare, the extent to which MSM attend non-specialist sexual health services (SHSs) is unclear. Methods We used data from the GUM Clinic Activity Data Set (GUMCADv2), the national STI surveillance system, to compare the characteristics, service usage and STI outcomes of MSM accessing specialist and non-specialist (non-GUM) SHSs in England in 2014. Pearson's ‡ 2, Student's t-test and logistic regression analysis were used. Results Where sexual orientation was recorded (92%), 11% (4552/41 €...597) of non-GUM attendances were among MSM compared with 28% (280 €...466/999 €...331) of GUM attendances (p<0.001). Compared with those attending GUM services, MSM attending non-GUM services were younger (mean age: 30.2 €...years vs 37.7 €...years; p<0.001) and were more likely to be of mixed ethnicity (4.9% vs 3.5%; p<0.001), to have had a full sexual health screen (chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis and HIV tests) (48.0% vs 37.0%; p<0.001) and to be diagnosed with chlamydia (7.4% vs 4.1%; p<0.001) and gonorrhoea (8.5% vs 6.5%: p<0.001). MSM attending non-GUM services had slightly lower HIV test uptake (87.0% vs 95.0%; p=0.157) and were less likely to be diagnosed with HIV (0.5% vs 0.8%; p=0.019), compared with those attending GUM clinics. Conclusions Non-specialist SHSs play an important role in the care of MSM and should ensure services meet their needs.
AB - Objectives Men who have sex with men (MSM) bear a disproportionate burden of STIs. While routine STI surveillance data suggest MSM regularly access specialist genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics for their sexual healthcare, the extent to which MSM attend non-specialist sexual health services (SHSs) is unclear. Methods We used data from the GUM Clinic Activity Data Set (GUMCADv2), the national STI surveillance system, to compare the characteristics, service usage and STI outcomes of MSM accessing specialist and non-specialist (non-GUM) SHSs in England in 2014. Pearson's ‡ 2, Student's t-test and logistic regression analysis were used. Results Where sexual orientation was recorded (92%), 11% (4552/41 €...597) of non-GUM attendances were among MSM compared with 28% (280 €...466/999 €...331) of GUM attendances (p<0.001). Compared with those attending GUM services, MSM attending non-GUM services were younger (mean age: 30.2 €...years vs 37.7 €...years; p<0.001) and were more likely to be of mixed ethnicity (4.9% vs 3.5%; p<0.001), to have had a full sexual health screen (chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis and HIV tests) (48.0% vs 37.0%; p<0.001) and to be diagnosed with chlamydia (7.4% vs 4.1%; p<0.001) and gonorrhoea (8.5% vs 6.5%: p<0.001). MSM attending non-GUM services had slightly lower HIV test uptake (87.0% vs 95.0%; p=0.157) and were less likely to be diagnosed with HIV (0.5% vs 0.8%; p=0.019), compared with those attending GUM clinics. Conclusions Non-specialist SHSs play an important role in the care of MSM and should ensure services meet their needs.
KW - GAY MEN
KW - HIV TESTING
KW - SERVICE DELIVERY
KW - SEXUAL HEALTH
KW - SURVEILLANCE
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84998953550&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1136/sextrans-2016-052755
DO - 10.1136/sextrans-2016-052755
M3 - Article
C2 - 27888206
AN - SCOPUS:84998953550
SN - 1368-4973
VL - 94
SP - 72
EP - 74
JO - Sexually Transmitted Infections
JF - Sexually Transmitted Infections
IS - 1
ER -
