Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Sep 5;19(9):e0307755.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0307755. eCollection 2024.

Determinants of care-seeking behavior for sexually transmitted infections among sexually active men in East Africa: A multilevel mixed effect analysis

Beminate Lemma Seifu  1 , Bezawit Melak Fente  2 , Mamaru Melkam  3 , Zufan Alamrie Asmare  4 , Angwach Abrham Asnake  5 , Meklit Melaku Bezie  6 , Hiwot Altaye Asebe  1 , Yohannes Mekuria Negussie  7
Affiliations

Determinants of care-seeking behavior for sexually transmitted infections among sexually active men in East Africa: A multilevel mixed effect analysis

Beminate Lemma Seifu et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Background: Addressing the global challenge of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is crucial and demands immediate attention. Raising awareness, improving healthcare facilities, and implementing preventive measures are necessary to reduce the spread and mitigate their adverse effects. The treatment seeking behavior of individuals in relation to STIs is an important factor in STI prevention and control. Thus, this study aimed to identify factors associated with STI-related care-seeking behavior among sexually active men in East Africa.

Methods: A weighted sample of 3,302 sexually active men from recent Demographic and Health Surveys (DHSs) in East African countries were included for analysis. To accommodate the inherent clustering in DHS data and the binary nature of the dependent variable, we applied a multi-level mixed-effect logistic regression model. The deviance value was used to select the best-fitted model. The strength of the association was estimated using an adjusted odds ratio, along with a 95% confidence interval, and statistical significance was determined at a p-value < 0.05.

Result: The pooled prevalence of STI-related care-seeking behavior among sexually active men in East Africa was 71% (95%CI: 69.76, 72.75). In the multivariable multilevel model, individuals in the age groups of 25-34 (AOR = 1.58, 95%CI: 1.22, 2.04) and 44 years and above (AOR = 1.44, 95%CI: 1.01, 2.02), those who were married (AOR = 1.62, 95%CI: 1.25, 2.11), had 1 (AOR = 1.88, 95%CI: 1.50, 2.35) and ≥2 (AOR = 2.53, 95%CI: 1.89, 3.39) sexual partners excluding their spouse, had ever been tested for HIV (AOR = 1.86, 95%CI: 1.52, 2.28), and had media exposure (AOR = 1.30, 95%CI: 1.04, 1.62) had a positive association with care-seeking behavior for STIs.

Conclusion: Based on our findings, seven out of ten sexually active men in East Africa exhibit care-seeking behavior for STIs. It is crucial to implement policies and strategies aimed at improving the health-seeking habits of young, unmarried men. Utilizing diverse media platforms to disseminate accurate information and success stories about STI symptoms is pivotal in achieving this goal.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. The pooled prevalence of STI-related care-seeking behavior among sexually active men in East Africa.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Sinka K. The global burden of sexually transmitted infections. Clinics in Dermatology. 2023. Dec;S0738081X23002547. doi: 10.1016/j.clindermatol.2023.12.002 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Zheng Y, Yu Q, Lin Y, Zhou Y, Lan L, Yang S, et al. Global burden and trends of sexually transmitted infections from 1990 to 2019: an observational trend study. The Lancet Infectious Diseases. 2022. Apr;22(4):541–51. doi: 10.1016/S1473-3099(21)00448-5 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Elendu C, Amaechi DC, Elendu ID, Elendu TC, Amaechi EC, Usoro EU, et al. Global perspectives on the burden of sexually transmitted diseases: A narrative review. Medicine (Baltimore). 2024. May 17;103(20):e38199. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000038199 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Chesson HW, Mayaud P, Aral SO. Sexually Transmitted Infections: Impact and Cost-Effectiveness of Prevention. In: Holmes KK, Bertozzi S, Bloom BR, Jha P, editors. Major Infectious Diseases [Internet]. 3rd ed. Washington (DC): The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank; 2017. [cited 2024 Jan 28]. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK525195/ - PubMed
    1. Newman L, Rowley J, Vander Hoorn S, Wijesooriya NS, Unemo M, Low N, et al. Global Estimates of the Prevalence and Incidence of Four Curable Sexually Transmitted Infections in 2012 Based on Systematic Review and Global Reporting. PLoS One. 2015;10(12):e0143304. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0143304 - DOI - PMC - PubMed