This study is seeking feedback from users of two online assessments of STI risk available on the MSHC website:
- MySTIRisk is a tool for sexually active people who may have no symptoms of an STI but wish to make informed decisions about how often they should seek testing and what STIs they should be tested for: www.mystirisk.mshc.org.au/
- iSpySTI is a tool for people who have potential symptoms of an STI and wish to make informed decisions about testing, advice and treatment: www.Ispysti.org
Interviews with website users will explore:
- users’ experiences of these websites
- the role of the websites in promoting timely and appropriate STI testing and treatment
- opportunities to improve the website
About online assessments of STI risk
STI testing is one of our best tools in preventing the spread of STIs in the community. The sooner you know you have an STI, the sooner you can get treated and the less chance you have of passing it to your sexual partner or partners.
However, not everyone’s risk of having an STI is the same. Online assessments of risk are one way you can find out your STI risk. They match individual risk factors and symptoms with information collected from thousands of past sexual health service users to estimate the likelihood of an individual having a range of common STIs.
Knowing your STI risk empowers you to make informed decisions about when you should seek testing and treatment.
The information provided by online assessments of risk may support you to seek health advice from your local GP or pharmacist rather than having to travel to a specialist sexual health clinic.
To try our personalised online assessments of STI risk, click on the links below.
Who we want to talk to
(or Who can participate in this study)
To be eligible to participate in this study you need to have used either the MySTIRisk or iSpySTI website. After completing the online assessment of risk you will have the option to provide your contact details to be contacted by a member of the research team. You must also be 18 years or older and reside in Australia.
We hope to speak to people from a range of perspectives, so will ask you some questions before the interview about your age, gender, sexual partners and cultural background to understand where you are coming from. Based on your responses we may choose not to proceed with an interview.
What's involved
If you agree to participate in this study, you will be asked to take part in an interview with a researcher by videoconference, telephone or face-to-face in the MSHC clinic The interview will take approximately 45-60 minutes to complete and will include some sensitive and personal information about your sexual health behaviours.
Prior to the interview you will receive written information about the study and be able to ask questions about how the information you provide us will be protected and used.
You will be reimbursed for your time and contribution.
What if I have questions?
If you have any questions about the study, you can call, sms or email the principal investigator, Alicia King, from the links above.