Treatment seeking behaviours for sexually transmitted infections among young adults in Ekurhuleni East, Gauteng, South Africa: a qualitative study

Mpobole Noluthando, Mathildah M. Mokgatle, Raikane J Seretlo

Abstract

This study explores the treatment-seeking behaviours for Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) among young adults in Ekurhuleni East, Gauteng, South Africa. Using qualitative methods, data was collected through in-depth interviews with 30 participants aged between 18-39 years who have been diagnosed with STIs. Data analysis was conducted using Braun and Clarke’s six-step thematic analysis, identifying key barriers to treatment seeking such as stigma, employment-related constraints, financial dependency, and health literacy, as well as facilitators like social support, healthcare access during pregnancy, and personal health concerns. Participants’ health-seeking experiences highlighted challenges in accessing health care, behavioural changes post-diagnosis, and varying adherence to prescribed treatments. While some completed treatment as instructed, others discontinued early due to symptom relief. The findings emphasize the need for improved health literacy, stigma reduction, and integrated STI care to enhance timely treatment-seeking and adherence. Strengthening community support and youth-friendly health services could further improve outcomes for STI management in this population.

Full Text:

PDF

References

Latunji O ,Akinyemi O. Factors influencing health-seeking behaviour among civil servants in Ibadan, Nigeria. Annals of Ibadan postgraduate medicine 2018; 16 (1), 52-60.

Xu J-J, Yu Y-Q, Hu Q-H, Yan H-J, Wang Z, Lu L, Zhuang M-H, Chen X, Fu J-H, Tang, W.-M. Treatment-seeking behaviour and barriers to service access for sexually transmitted diseases among men who have sex with men in China: a multicentre cross-sectional survey. Infectious diseases of poverty 2017; 6, 1-10.

Newton-Levinson A, Leichliter JS ,Chandra-Mouli V. Help and care seeking for sexually transmitted infections among youth in low-and middle-income countries. Sexually transmitted diseases 2017; 44 (6), 319-328.

Dadzie LK, Agbaglo E, Okyere J, Aboagye RG, Arthur-Holmes F, Seidu A-A ,Ahinkorah BO. Self-reported sexually transmitted infections among adolescent girls and young women in sub-Saharan Africa. International Health 2022; 14 (6), 545-553.

Workowski KA. Sexually transmitted infections treatment guidelines, 2021; MMWR. Recommendations and Reports 2021, 70.

World Health Organization. More than 1 Million New Curable Sexually Transmitted Infections Every Day. WHO: 2024.

Rowley J, Vander Hoorn S, Korenromp E, Low N, Unemo M, Abu-Raddad LJ, Chico RM, Smolak A, Newman L ,Gottlieb S. Chlamydia, gonorrhoea, trichomoniasis and syphilis: global prevalence and incidence estimates, 2016. Bulletin of the World Health Organization 2019; 97 (8), 548.

Mokgatle MM, Madiba S, Cele L. A comparative analysis of risky sexual behaviors, self-reported sexually transmitted infections, knowledge of symptoms and partner notification practices among male and female university students in Pretoria, South Africa. International journal of environmental research and public health 2021, 18 (11), 5660.

Chitneni P, Bwana MB, Muyindike W, Owembabazi M, Kalyebara PK, Byamukama A, Mbalibulha Y, Smith PM, Hsu KK, Haberer JE. STI prevalence among men living with HIV engaged in safer conception care in rural, southwestern Uganda. Plos one 2021; 16 (3), e0246629.

Newman L, Rowley J, Vander Hoorn S, Wijesooriya NS, Unemo M ,Low N. Stevens G, Gottlieb S, Kiarie J and Temmerman M. Global estimates of the prevalence and incidence of four curable sexually transmitted infections in 2012 based on systematic review and global reporting. PloS one 2015; 10 (12), e0143304.

Kassie BA, Yenus H, Berhe R , Kassahun EA. Prevalence of sexually transmitted infections and associated factors among the University of Gondar students, Northwest Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study. Reproductive health 2019; 16, 1-8.

Nigussie T ,Yosef T. Knowledge of sexually transmitted infections and its associated factors among polytechnic college students in Southwest Ethiopia. Pan African Medical Journal 2020; 37 (1).

Gottlieb SL, Low N, Newman LM, Bolan G, Kamb M , Broutet N. Toward global prevention of sexually transmitted infections (STIs): the need for STI vaccines. Vaccine 2014; 32 (14), 1527-1535.

Adachi K, Klausner JD, Xu J, Ank B, Bristow CC, Morgado MG, Watts DH, Weir F, Persing D , Mofenson LM. Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae in HIV-infected pregnant women and adverse infant outcomes. The Pediatric infectious disease journal 2016; 35 (8), 894-900.

Aggarwal S, Singh AK, Balaji S , Ambalkar D. Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and its changing scenario: a scoping review. Combinatorial Chemistry & High Throughput Screening 2022; 25 (10), 1630-1638.

Francis SC, Mthiyane TN, Baisley K, Mchunu SL, Ferguson JB, Smit T, Crucitti T, Gareta D, Dlamini S ,Mutevedzi T. Prevalence of sexually transmitted infections among young people in South Africa: A nested survey in a health and demographic surveillance site. PLoS medicine 2018; 15 (2), e1002512.

Van Gerwen OT, Muzny CA , Marrazzo JM. Sexually transmitted infections and female reproductive health. Nature microbiology 2022; 7 (8), 1116-1126.

Zheng Y, Yu Q, Lin Y, Zhou Y, Lan L, Yang S , Wu J. Global burden and trends of sexually transmitted infections from 1990 to 2019: an observational trend study. The Lancet Infectious Diseases 2022; 22 (4), 541-551.

Wood JM, Harries J, Kalichman M, Kalichman S, Nkoko K , Mathews C. Exploring motivation to notify and barriers to partner notification of sexually transmitted infections in South Africa: a qualitative study. BMC Public Health 2018; 18, 1-7.

Suvirya S, Singh R, Senthamizh P , Sharma V. Treatment seeking behaviour of STI clients in a tertiary care centre of North India: A cross sectional study. Indian Journal of Sexually Transmitted Diseases and AIDS 2016; 37 (1), 7-11.

Tenza IS, Njuguna C, Sodo PP, Ruch A, Francis JM, Omole OB, Cooke R, Agbo S , Baldwin-Ragaven L. Exploring barriers to switching “on time” to second-line antiretroviral therapy among nurses in primary health care facilities, Ekurhuleni Health District, South Africa. Plos one 2023; 18 (4), e0284996.

Braun V , Clarke V. Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative research in psychology 2006; 3 (2), 77-101.

Hoven H, Backhaus I, Gerő K , Kawachi I. Characteristics of employment history and self-perceived barriers to healthcare access. European Journal of Public Health 2023; 33 (6), 1080-1087.

Johnson L, Chen Y, Stylianou A ,Arnold A. Examining the impact of economic abuse on survivors of intimate partner violence: a scoping review. BMC public health 2022; 22 (1), 1014.

Nduka C, Omuemu V, Tella A ,Obi D. Economic abuse as a form of intimate partner violence in sub-Saharan Africa: a review of the literature. Journal of Community Medicine and Primary Health Care 2023; 35 (3), 85-95.

Huang H, Zhang L, Tu L, Zhang X, Zhong H, Liu Q, Liu Y , Chen H. The Impact of Stigma on Self-Management Behavior Among People with HIV in China: The Role of Social Support and Self-Esteem. AIDS Patient Care and STDs 2024; 38 (9), 453-462.

Gao Y, MacDonald D, Collins KD. Alaghehbandan, R , Chen, Y. Role of social support in the relationship between sexually transmitted infection and depression among young women in Canada. Journal of epidemiology 2010; 20 (4), 313-318.

Ross E. Maternal—fetal attachment and engagement with antenatal advice. British Journal of Midwifery 2012; 20 (8), 566-575.

Alamer AS. Behavior Change Theories and Models Within Health Belief Model Research: A Five-Decade Holistic Bibliometric Analysis. Cureus 2024; 16 (6).

Peppa M, John Edmunds W , Funk S. Disease severity determines health-seeking behaviour amongst individuals with influenza-like illness in an internet-based cohort. BMC infectious diseases 2017; 17, 1-13.

Ogale YP, Kennedy CE, Nalugoda F, Mpagazi J, Jackson JC, Galiwango R, Ssekubugu, R, Kigozi G, Denison JA , Gaydos CA. Nearly half of adults with symptoms of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) did not seek clinical care: A population-based study of treatment-seeking behavior among adults in Rakai, Uganda. PLOS Global Public Health 2023; 3 (5), e0001626.

Sanabria G, Stonbraker S, Bateman M, Halpern M ,Amesty S. Impact of an STI Diagnosis on People Living With HIV in La Romana, Dominican Republic: A Cross-Sectional, Qualitative, Descriptive Study. Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care. 2023 Nov 1;34(6):582- 9.

Ridelman D, Heisler S , Groves A. Adherence to doxycycline for uncomplicated genitourinary chlamydia: A prospective observational study. Journal of the American College of Emergency Physicians Open. 2024 Apr;5(2):e13137

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.