Table 2.
Questions, themes, and representative respondent quotes
| Question, Theme | n (%)a | Representative Quote |
|---|---|---|
| Would it be hard for you to get TESTED for chlamydia or gonorrhea if you wanted? (n = 782)b | ||
| No | 539 (68.9) | |
| Easy access to care | 385 (71.4) | “there are clinics everywhere” |
| Access to insurance/funds | 81 (15.0) | “I have insurance so I could get tested free” |
| Importance of health | 33 (6.1) | “No I want to see if I’m STD free” |
| Yes | 162 (20.7) | |
| Notification of parents | 60 (37.0) | “Yes, I am not going to tell my parents I’m sexually active” |
| Embarrassment/stigma | 38 (23.5) | “There is some stigma” |
| Unsure of process or location | 39 (24.1) | “Yes, as I am not sure how and where to get tested” |
| Cost/insurance | 29 (17.9) | “I don’t have health insurance” |
| Unsure | 51 (6.5) | |
| Unsure of process or location | 16 (31.4) | “Probably not, but I don’t know where or how to” |
| If you tested positive, would it be hard for you to get TREATED for chlamydia or gonorrhea? (n = 771)b | ||
| No | 523 (67.8) | |
| Access to insurance/funds | 216 (41.3) | “I have health insurance and am financially stable enough … “ |
| Easy access | 202 (38.6) | “I have access to many good medical facilities” |
| Importance of health | 41 (7.8) | “that is the only option for me to get better and healthy” |
| Yes | 122 (15.8) | |
| Cost/insurance | 51 (41.8) | “My health insurance doesn’t cover STDs” |
| Notification of parents | 30 (24.6) | “difficult to explain to parents” |
| Embarrassment/stigma | 21 (17.2) | “The social stigma surrounding STIs would prevent me from asking for help about any treatment” |
| Unsure | 122 (15.8) | |
| Unsure of process | 29 (23.8) | “I don’t know enough about treatment.” |
| Depends on cost/insurance | 23 (18.9) | “If my healthcare covers it, then no. If it doesn’t, that’s a different story.” |
| If you thought you had chlamydia or gonorrhea, where would you go to get treatment? (n = 745)b | ||
| Doctor’s office | 368 (49.4) | “… my PCP for a consultation and to get treated/tested” |
| Free clinic/Planned Parenthood | 106 (14.2) | “Planned Parenthood or a walk-in-clinic if … at school” |
| Hospital | 105 (14.1) | “university system or other local hospital” |
| Gynecology/STI doctor | 85 (11.4) | “My gynecologist, preferably. If I couldn’t schedule an appointment for a while, I’d go to a clinic.” |
| Unsure | 83 (11.1) | “I’m not sure, the doctor?” |
| School clinic | 65 (8.7) | “If it was during the school year, I would start with on campus health services.” |
| If you got chlamydia or gonorrhea would you tell your sexual partner(s)? Why or why not? (n = 774)b | ||
| Yes | 736 (95.1) | |
| Effects partner | 185 (23.9) | “it’s not something that only affects you, but anyone else you may have been with” |
| Morality | 180 (23.3) | “Yes, that is the right thing to do” |
| Importance of testing/treatment | 146 (18.9) | “Absolutely. He would need to get treated/tested too.” |
| No | 16 (2.1) | |
| Social stigma | 10 (62.5) | “I would be too ashamed” |
aNumbers may not add to 100%, as codes are not mutually exclusive; not all codes are displayed
bN = the number of coded responses to each question; not all respondents answered each question
STI = sexually transmitted infection