Division of STD Prevention, US Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.
SAHARA J. 2011;8(2):82-8. doi: 10.1080/17290376.2011.9724989.
Men may be key players in the transmission of sexually transmitted infections (STI), and it is important that STI/HIV health services reach men. The objective of this study was to explore sexual health care access and seeking behaviours in men. This study used focus groups to examine sexual health care access and seeking behaviours in men 5 years after implementation of free antiretroviral therapy (ART) in the South African public sector. Six focus groups (N=58) were conducted with men ≫18 years in an urban area of Gauteng province. Men were recruited from various locations throughout the community. Men reported several barriers and facilitators to the use of public and private clinics for sexual health services including HIV testing, and many men reported seeking care from traditional healers. Men often viewed public clinics as a place for women and reported experiences with some female nurses who were rude or judgmental of the men. Additionally, some men reported that they sought sexual health care services at public clinics; however, they were not given physical examinations by health care providers to diagnose their STI syndrome. Most men lacked knowledge about ART and avoided HIV testing because of fear of death or being abandoned by their families or friends. Study findings suggest that men still require better access to high-quality, non-judgmental sexual health care services. Future research is needed to determine the most effective method to increase men's access to sexual health care services.
男性可能是性传播感染（STI）传播的关键参与者，因此重要的是，STI/艾滋病健康服务能够覆盖到男性。本研究旨在探讨男性的性健康护理获取和寻求行为。该研究采用焦点小组的方法，在南非公共部门实施免费抗逆转录病毒疗法（ART）五年后，调查了男性的性健康护理获取和寻求行为。在豪登省的一个城市地区，对 58 名年龄≧18 岁的男性进行了六组焦点小组（N=58）。这些男性是从社区的各个地方招募的。男性报告了在使用公共和私人诊所进行性健康服务（包括 HIV 检测）时面临的一些障碍和促进因素，许多男性报告寻求传统治疗师的护理。男性通常认为公共诊所是女性的场所，并报告了一些女性护士对男性粗鲁或有偏见的经历。此外，一些男性表示他们在公共诊所寻求性健康护理服务，但医务人员没有对他们进行体检来诊断他们的性传播感染综合征。大多数男性缺乏对 ART 的了解，因为害怕死亡或被家人或朋友抛弃，所以避免进行 HIV 检测。研究结果表明，男性仍然需要更好地获得高质量、无偏见的性健康护理服务。需要进一步研究确定增加男性获得性健康护理服务的最有效方法。
