Acceptability of urine-based screening for Chlamydia trachomatis to asymptomatic young men and their providers.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to describe acceptability of urine chlamydia testing among asymptomatic men and providers' attitudes toward testing.

STUDY

DESIGN

Asymptomatic men (no urethral discharge/dysuria) were offered free testing and characteristics of men who accepted were compared with those who declined. Acceptability logs tallied the proportion who accepted, and a standardized survey was administered to providers at study's end.

RESULTS

Median acceptance was 64% (range, 8-100%). Men accepting were younger and more likely to be in adolescent primary care or detention, to report higher numbers of recent partners, no prior sexually transmitted disease, time to last healthcare visit >1 year, and to have received an incentive. Provider-reported barriers to testing included difficulty in conveying importance of testing to asymptomatic men (65%) and time constraints (24%).

CONCLUSIONS

Asymptomatic men are likely to accept testing depending on venue and approach. However, barriers exist for men and providers, even when testing is free.