Abstract

Our study aimed to establish barriers to early treatment seeking among patients with sexually transmitted
infections at Kaproron Health Centre IV. This was a facility-based cross-sectional survey employing quantitative
methods. The study enrolled a total of 122 randomly selected participants who had consented to participate in the
study. Data was collected using a pretested interviewer-administered questionnaire and analysed using STATA
software version 14. Descriptive statistics were used to present data as graphs and tables of frequencies while for
inferential statistics odds ratios and P-value set at 0.05 corresponding to a 95% confidence interval were used. The
study revealed that 56.86% of the participants sought their STI treatment late. Participants’ age, sex, symptom
severity and cost of services at Kaproron Health Centre IV presented as significant barriers to early STI treatment
seeking. Participants aged 36-45 (AOR-0.16, p-0.04, CI-0.03-0.88) and ≥46 years (AOR-0.17, p-0.05, CI-0.03-0.98)
had lower odds of seeking treatment early which was similar for female participants (COR-0.38, p-0.02, CI-0.17—
0.86). Conversely, participants with severe STI symptoms (COR-2.8, p-0.02, CI-1.19-6.58) and those who reported
STI services at Kaproron Health Centre IV as affordable (AOR-3.73, p-0.011, CI-1.35-10.25) were 3.73 times more
likely to seek early treatment. A higher proportion sought STI treatment late. Age, gender, symptom severity and
service costs presented significant barriers to seeking early treatment. Mass STI screening programs should
target individuals aged 26 and above, females and impoverished communities.
Keywords: STI treatment, Patients, Age, Gender, Symptom severity.