Table 2.
Association between factors for avoiding or delaying seeking testing or sexual healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic and unmet sexual health needs
| Factor | Total with sexual health need n=662* |
At least one need unmet n=345 |
All needs met n=317 |
Unadjusted OR (95% CI) |
Adjusted† OR (95% CI) |
| Any factor | 441/662 (67%) | 310/345 (90%) | 131/317 (41%) | 12.58 (8.40 to 19.29) | 10.38 (6.63 to 16.64) |
| Public messaging that was not supposed to seek non-urgent healthcare | 234 (35%) | 181 (52%) | 53 (17%) | 5.50 (3.85 to 7.96) | 4.27 (2.88 to 6.42) |
| Concern about getting COVID-19 while at a clinic/lab | 214 (32%) | 160 (46%) | 54 (17%) | 4.21 (2.95 to 6.08) | 2.63 (1.73 to 4.04) |
| Place usually go for testing/care was closed or had reduced services | 178 (27%) | 119 (34%) | 59 (19%) | 2.30 (1.61 to 3.31) | 2.52 (1.68 to 3.82) |
| Concerned about getting COVID-19 while travelling to a clinic/lab | 147 (22%) | 112 (32%) | 35 (11%) | 3.87 (2.58 to 5.95) | 2.21 (1.38 to 3.58) |
| Worried that healthcare provider might judge me for having sex during the COVID-19 pandemic | 82 (12%) | 59 (17%) | 23 (7%) | 2.64 (1.61 to 4.46) | 2.56 (1.47 to 4.57) |
| Didn’t know where to access services | 77 (12%) | 55 (16%) | 22 (7%) | 2.54 (1.53 to 4.35) | 2.46 (1.38 to 4.48) |
| Live/close contact with someone at risk of COVID-19 | 36 (5%) | 28 (8%) | 8 (3%) | 3.41 (1.60 to 8.13) | 2.64 (1.11 to 6.92) |
Bold: 95% CI excludes 1.
*Excluding individuals with missing data for any variable included in adjusted models.
†Adjusted for age, gender, sexual orientation (behaviour), race/ethnicity, education, comfort accessing in-person services, and being a GetCheckedOnline user.