Care-seeking Pattern in the General Iranian Population with Sexually Transmitted Infection Syndromes: A Population-Based Survey

Background: Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) have a high prevalence in developing and least developed countries. Delays in seeking health care are among the main obstacles to the prevention and control of STIs. This study aimed to investigate the care-seeking pattern in the general Iranian population with sexually transmitted infection syndromes. Materials and Methods: This population-based survey was conducted in 2016 among the population of Marvdasht County, who aged 18-50. The random cluster sampling method was used to select the sample. A checklist was used to collect information, and SPSS V.16.0 was used for data analysis. In addition, linear and logistic regressions were used to model the association between contributing factors and the behavioral pattern. Results: A total of 3,879 people with the mean age of 33.85 ± 8.85 participated in this study. The results showed that 31.83 and 3.3% of the males and females, respectively, took no action when experiencing common symptoms of STIs. In addition, the time interval between the onset of symptoms and visiting a medical center was 10.26±2.74 and 7.10±1.45 days in males and females, respectively (P ≤ 0.05). Conclusions: The care-seeking frequency in males with sexually transmitted infection syndromes was low. Furthermore, the time interval between the onset of the syndrome and visiting a medical center was longer in males than in females.