Accessibility of sexual health services in teenage sexual health service users: local area geospatial analysis.

BACKGROUND Teenage pregnancy rates in the UK are the highest in Western Europe. Causes of teenage pregnancies are multifaceted with complex interplay of social, lifestyle and wider determinants influencing risk. Improving access to sexual health services through community services is an important factor in attempting to tackle this issue, but few studies have examined factors that influence this. METHODS Geospatial analysis was conducted on community sexual health service users and teenage conceptions from local sexual health services were recorded. Univariate and multinomial regression was performed to test associations between service type and socio-economic status. RESULTS No significant differences in accessibility of services between teenage girls who have conceived and those seeking sexual health services were found. Females aged 17 and under were more likely to use a young people's sexual health service than mainstream services (P < 0.001). However, a young person living in the most deprived quintiles was more likely to use a mainstream service if it was closer to their home address (adjusted odds ratios: 2.154, 95% confidence intervals: 1.533-3.027). CONCLUSIONS Service type and socio-economic status impact upon the choices young people make when accessing community sexual health services. The study supports policy for locating young person services within the most deprived areas of a community.