{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,26]],"date-time":"2026-09-26T15:08:06Z","timestamp":1790435286984,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":28,"publisher":"BMJ","issue":"5","funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100000380","name":"Guy\u2019s and St Thomas' Charity","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100000380","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["bmj.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Sex Transm Infect"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2018,8]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title>Objectives<\/jats:title><jats:p>Online services for self-sampling at home could improve access to STI testing; however, little is known about those using this new modality of care. This study describes the characteristics of users of online services and compares them with users of clinic services.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title><jats:p>We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of routinely collected data on STI testing activity from online and clinic sexual health services in Lambeth and Southwark between 1January 2016 and 31March 2016. Activity was included for chlamydia, gonorrhoea, HIV and syphilis testing for residents of the boroughs aged 16 years and older. Logistic regression models were used to explore potential associations between type of service use with age group, gender, ethnic group, sexual orientation, positivity and Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) quintiles. We used the same methods to explore potential associations between return of complete samples for testing with age group, gender, ethnic group, sexual orientation and IMD quintiles among online users.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results<\/jats:title><jats:p>6456 STI tests were carried out by residents in the boroughs. Of these, 3582 (55.5%) were performed using clinic services and 2874 (44.5%) using the online service. In multivariate analysis, online users were more likely than clinic users to be aged between 20 and 30 years, female, white British, homosexual or bisexual, test negative for chlamydia or gonorrhoea and live in less deprived areas. Of the individuals that ordered a kit from the online service, 72.5% returned sufficient samples. In multivariate analysis, returners were more likely than non-returners to be aged &gt;20 years and white British.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title><jats:p>Nearly half (44.5%) of all basic STI testing was done online, although the characteristics of users of clinic and online services differed and positivity rates for those using the online service for testing were lower. Clinics remain an important point of access for some groups.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1136\/sextrans-2017-053302","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2018,2,7]],"date-time":"2018-02-07T17:15:15Z","timestamp":1518023715000},"page":"377-383","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/crossmarkpolicy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":49,"title":["Comparing the characteristics of users of an online service for STI self-sampling with clinic service users: a cross-sectional analysis"],"prefix":"10.1136","volume":"94","author":[{"given":"Sharmani","family":"Barnard","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Caroline","family":"Free","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ioannis","family":"Bakolis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8152-6017","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Katy M E","family":"Turner","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Katharine J","family":"Looker","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Paula","family":"Baraitser","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"239","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2018,2,7]]},"reference":[{"key":"2020050723332698000_94.5.377.1","unstructured":"Public Health England. Infection Report HIV-STIs. London: \u00a0Public Health England, 2016."},{"key":"2020050723332698000_94.5.377.2","unstructured":"Public Health England. HIV in the United Kingdom. London: Public Health England, 2016."},{"key":"2020050723332698000_94.5.377.3","unstructured":"Dallabetta G , Wi T , Nielsen G , et al . Prevention and control of STD and HIV infection in developing countries. Sexually transmitted diseases. 4th edn. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2008."},{"key":"2020050723332698000_94.5.377.4","unstructured":"Public Health England. Health promotion for sexual and reproductive health and HIV: strategic action plan, 2016 to 2019. London: Public Health England, 2015."},{"key":"2020050723332698000_94.5.377.5","unstructured":"Office for National Statistics. Internet users in the UK: 2016. UK: ONS, 2016. https:\/\/www.ons.gov.uk\/businessindustryandtrade\/itandinternetindustry\/bulletins\/internetusers\/2016."},{"key":"2020050723332698000_94.5.377.6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1071\/SH13029"},{"key":"2020050723332698000_94.5.377.7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2105\/AJPH.92.3.378"},{"key":"2020050723332698000_94.5.377.8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2196\/jmir.2628"},{"key":"2020050723332698000_94.5.377.9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Wilson E , Free C , Morris TP , et al . Internet-accessed sexually transmitted infection (e-STI) testing and results service: a randomised, single-blind, controlled trial. 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Oxford, UK: British Association of Sexual Health and HIV, 2016."},{"key":"2020050723332698000_94.5.377.14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/1471-2458-11-112"},{"key":"2020050723332698000_94.5.377.15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1097\/OLQ.0b013e3181e3d771"},{"key":"2020050723332698000_94.5.377.16","unstructured":"Aldridge HB , Kenway S , MacInnes P , et al . London\u2019s Poverty Profile: Southwark. London New Policy Institute and The Trust for London, 2013."},{"key":"2020050723332698000_94.5.377.17","unstructured":"Lambeth Council. Lambeth: State of the Borough 2014. London: Lambeth Council, 2014."},{"key":"2020050723332698000_94.5.377.18","unstructured":"Public Health England. Public Health Outcomes Framework Sexual and Reporductive Health Profiles. UK: PHE, 2016."},{"key":"2020050723332698000_94.5.377.19","unstructured":"Public Health England. 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