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Young Australians are disproportionately affected by sexually transmissible infections (STIs). Chlamydia is the most frequently reported STI in Australia,1 and in 2011, chlamydia in 15- to 29-year-olds accounted for 82% of all such diagnoses.2
Young people living in rural areas are particularly at risk of poor sexual health outcomes. Sexual health is a personal issue, demanding privacy, which can be challenging to achieve for rural youth. In small communities, young people may feel 'on show' when buying contraception or seeing the General Practitioner (GP).3 Although most STIs are diagnosed in general practice, young people in rural areas have less access than urban-based youth to GPs for multiple reasons: chronic workforce shortages, less choice of practitioners, cost, distance and lack of youth-specific services.4-7 Rural people are tested less frequently for STIs than those in city areas.8
Young men are even more vulnerable than young women. The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners recommends annual chlamydia screening for all sexually active 15- to 29-year-olds;9 however, young men are half as likely as young women to visit the GP10 and when they do, they are less likely to be offered STI screening. The annual GP chlamydia testing rate per 100 sexually active people in this age group is 3.7% for males compared with 12.5% for females.11 In 2013, the ratio of male-to-female chlamydia diagnoses in the 15-29 year age group was 3 : 1, suggesting a large undiagnosed male population.1
Effective primary prevention of sexual health problems in young people involves empowering adolescents to make informed decisions. Access to relevant and accurate sexual health information is an essential element in this endeavour but currently, little is known about where young men obtain their sexual health knowledge or of their patterns of behaviour in relation to sexual health information and advice seeking. An Australian survey of over 2000 Year 10-12 students found that adolescent males most commonly use the Internet, school programs and a male friend.12 Little is known of the type of information sought, reasons for doing so or the validity of the information accessed. Efforts to explore these issues are compounded by difficulties in conducting qualitative research with young men and thus there is...