STDs. Not exactly the first subject you
want to talk about with your friends. To be honest, it wasn’t for me either. So
how did I get to doing an entire research project about it, then? It started
when I took GCH 350: Health Promotion and Education with Dr. Lisa Lindley. Dr.
Lindley had talked about the anonymous STD self-testing being done by the Dean Street
Clinic in London, England. What is anonymous STD self-testing, you may ask? Broadly
speaking, it is when a person who does not have any symptoms (but just wants to
get checked for STDs) gets a testing kit and collects the needed samples
themselves without seeing a healthcare provider. After collecting the samples,
the person will deposit them in a drop off box in the clinic. The clinic will
then test the samples and the results are electronically sent to the donor. This
reduces the embarrassment most people feel about discussing their sexual health
with a healthcare provider.
After hearing about this kind of testing
from her and how it could be used to combat the increasing rate of STD
transmissions among college-age individuals, I approached her with the idea of
possibly researching this subject. I felt that, by taking the judgement factor
away from sexual health and STDs, more Mason students would be willing to get
tested and treated. We came up with a two-part study: a) an anonymous survey to
understand the general knowledge and perceptions of STD self-testing among
Mason students and b) using the survey data, create 3 to 5 focus groups to find
out more in-depth reasons why or why not Mason students would use an STD
self-testing service. Over the Fall 2017 semester, we created the survey and
pilot tested it among various groups including the Student Health Advisory
Board. In the Spring 2018 semester, we will release the survey to the general
Mason population and conduct the focus group sessions. While working on this project,
I regularly read public health research and news articles about STDs, which I
saved and categorized into a database. As a future (hopefully) physician and public
health professional, I feel that this study gave me a real taste of what public
health research is about. This study also showed me how to create effective
interventions for the health problems various populations face.
