Some peoples' psychological experiences of attending a sexual health clinic and having a sexually transmitted infection.

Abstract

This study considers aspects of the experiences of a group of people attending a sexual health clinic and receiving the diagnosis of a sexually transmitted infection (STI). The study was conducted in the form of action research using a qualitative approach. Participants consisted of eight attenders at a sexual health clinic who had been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection. Counselling skills and techniques were used throughout semi-structured interviews to explore participants' feelings about these issues. Thematic analysis was used to generate themes of importance to the participants. Some people who had been to a sexual health clinic and received a diagnosis of a sexually transmitted infection were found to experience feelings of anxiety, stigma and isolation. This study is of value to all those working in the field of sexual health with an interest in understanding the issues that are important to the client group.