Why so few young men seek sex health information
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A study by researchers and nurses in Vancouver sheds some light on why it's so difficult to convince young men to seek out sexual health services. The city's Evergreen Youth Clinic says just 6 per cent of its clients are men, and male patients are especially reluctant to see doctors when it comes to sexual health.
Nurses at the clinic partnered with researchers at the University of British Columbia to find out why. They used focus groups and surveys to find out why young men don't seek out sexual health information or treatment. The study found the young men tended to see sexual health as a women's issue, and many lacked knowledge about sexually transmitted infections.
The study suggests that men will take a more active role when they form ongoing relationships with health providers.
Coauthor Paramita Banerjee, a registered nurse at Evergreen, says the most effective change would be to open more health clinics aimed at youth that offer broad primary care services, rather than a focus on sexual health.
