The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
BMC Public Health. 2018 Jun 20;18(1):776. doi: 10.1186/s12889-018-5684-2.
Papua New Guinea (PNG) has some of the highest prevalence of urogenital sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in Pacific Asia, but to date, anorectal STI prevalence data do not exist, and diagnosis of anorectal STIs does not occur. The purpose of this study was to document the acceptability of anorectal STI testing and self-collection of anorectal swabs for testing among populations at risk of anorectal STIs, in advance of a large bio-behavioural survey during which this approach to specimen collection was planned among key populations in PNG.
Four focus groups were conducted, collecting data from a purposive sample of 35 members of two civil society groups representing female sex workers, men who have sex with men and transgender women in Port Moresby and Goroka.
All participants were in favour of anorectal STI testing in PNG. Reasons given for willingness to undertake anorectal STI testing included that anal sex is practised; that anorectal STIs are not perceived to exist; there are self-reported experiences of anorectal symptoms indicative of anorectal STIs; that anorectal STI testing will enhance personal health; and that anorectal STI testing is not currently available in PNG. All participants were confident they could obtain self-collected specimens, although several stated that support from trained health workers should be available for community members who may not feel comfortable with self-collection.
This qualitative research is the first study of acceptability of anorectal STI testing and specimen self-collection procedures in PNG, and Pacific Asia more broadly. Our qualitative findings show support for anorectal STI testing including the use of self-collected swabs among key populations in PNG. Study findings informed the inclusion of anorectal STI testing in a large bio-behavioural survey to be used to estimate anorectal STI prevalence among key populations in PNG for the first time.
巴布亚新几内亚（PNG）是亚太地区泌尿生殖系统性传播感染（STI）发病率最高的国家之一，但迄今为止，尚无肛门直肠 STI 流行率数据，也未对肛门直肠 STI 进行诊断。本研究的目的是记录在面临肛门直肠 STI 风险的人群中，对肛门直肠 STI 检测和自我采集肛门直肠拭子的可接受性，以便在 PNG 的重点人群中计划采用这种标本采集方法进行大型生物行为调查之前，先收集有关肛门直肠 STI 检测和自我采集肛门直肠拭子的数据。
我们进行了 4 个焦点小组，从代表莫尔斯比港和戈罗卡的两个民间社会团体的 35 名成员中，通过目的性抽样收集数据。
所有参与者都赞成在 PNG 进行肛门直肠 STI 检测。愿意进行肛门直肠 STI 检测的原因包括：肛交行为普遍存在；认为不存在肛门直肠 STI；有自我报告的肛门直肠症状提示存在肛门直肠 STI；肛门直肠 STI 检测将增强个人健康；而且目前 PNG 尚未提供肛门直肠 STI 检测。所有参与者都有信心自行采集标本，但也有一些人表示，应向可能对自我采集感到不舒服的社区成员提供经过培训的卫生工作者的支持。
这是 PNG 乃至整个亚太地区首次对肛门直肠 STI 检测和标本自我采集程序的可接受性进行的定性研究。我们的定性研究结果表明，PNG 的重点人群支持进行肛门直肠 STI 检测，包括使用自我采集的拭子。研究结果为在 PNG 的重点人群中进行大型生物行为调查中纳入肛门直肠 STI 检测提供了信息，这是首次用于估计 PNG 重点人群中的肛门直肠 STI 流行率。
