Exploring the acceptability of online sexually transmissible infection testing for rural young people in Victoria.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the availability of and previous engagement with health services among rural young people and compare barriers and facilitators to using face-to-face and online sexual health testing and treatment.

DESIGN: Participants were recruited for focus groups and were asked to discuss their access to local sexual health services (what services they used, when, why and how) and then shown a website and asked to provide feedback about online STI testing.

SETTING: Community sporting clubs in two small country towns in Victoria.

PARTICIPANTS: Seven focus groups with fifty participants, grouped by gender and age, were conducted.

MAIN OBJECTIVE MEASURE: Participants views of accessible and acceptable services for STI testing.

RESULTS: Three main themes emerged from the analysis: (i) readiness to seek sexual health services; (ii) barriers and facilitators to using the local general practitioner; and (iii) barriers and facilitators to online testing, including 'using the mail during online STI testing' and 'cost of the online service'. In general, the participants described some concerns about accessing sexual health services locally. This was less discussion about availability of services and more about privacy, trust, reliability and using generalist health care providers for sexual health needs.

CONCLUSION: Free online testing services address issues of access for rural young people. While barriers external to rural sexual health services may remain, free online STI testing services are acceptable to these rural young people.