Men aged 35 and under would rather obtain self-testing kits for HIV and other STIs from healthcare settings, particularly their general practice, than leisure facilities, a study has found.

The study formed part of the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) quarterly survey (Omnibus), a stratified random probability survey of adults in Britain. Data were collected on 411 men aged 18-35, median 28 years, in three waves between January and October 2010.

Participants were sent an invitation to an interview which explored the use of healthcare and the acceptability of accessing self-collected testing kits for HIV and other STIs from various medical, social and sporting venues.

Virtually all (93.5%) of men were registered with a GP and 75.3% had seen their GP within the past year. Overall, 28.7% and 19.8% had previously undergone testing for STIs and HIV respectively. The majority of STI and HIV tests had been performed in a clinical setting with more than half being tested in sexual health/GUM clinics and one in six in general practice. Few men reported having tests for STIs in non-clinical settings.

The majority of men were willing to provide a self-collected sample for STI/HIV testing. Overall 85.1% were willing to provide a urine sample for STI testing, irrespective of age. And 86.9% were willing to provide an oral fluid sample for HIV testing (this varied from 79.7% in men aged 25-29 to 95.0% of men aged 18-24).

GP surgeries (79.7%), sexual health clinics (66.8%) and pharmacies (65.4%) were the most acceptable test kit pick-up points. Gyms and sports centres were acceptable pick-up points in only 18.5% and 13.4% of respondents respectively.

Almost all the men were registered with a GP and three-quarters had seen their GP in the past year. Moreover, eight out of ten men were willing to pick up self-collected STI and HIV test kits from general practice. Despite this, current rates of STI/HIV screening in general practice are low. The authors suggest this may be in part due to reluctance of primary care providers to offer testing.

There is potential to tap into general practice as a venue for STI/HIV testing for young men; we must somehow persuade our primary care colleagues that this is indeed a good thing in order to control the rising prevalence of STIs and HIV.

Dr Richard Ma