[Adolescents find it easy to collect their own samples to study sexually transmitted infections]. / Adolescentes encuentran fácil tomar sus propias muestras para estudio de infecciones de transmisión sexual.

BACKGROUND: As alternative for patients that fear genital examination, we assessed adolescent's comfort and ease with self-collected samples for nucleic acid amplification testing for sexually transmitted infections. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Sexually active Chilean adolescents and youth under 25 years (174 males and 117 females) were enrolled. Females used self-collected vaginal swabs and males collected first-stream urine. A satisfaction survey evaluating self-sampling system was applied. RESULTS: Self-collection was considered easy in 99.3% of the interviewees (CI 95% 0.88-0.98). In women, 79.3% preferred vaginal self-collected samples than pelvic exam (CI 95% 0.73-0.85). In men, 80.3% preferred self-collected first-stream urine to urethral swabs (CI 95% 0.73-0.87). Assuming that self-collected sampling were available, 89.6% of women (CI 95% 0.85-0.94) and 93.2% of men (CI 95% 0.89-0.98) would be prone to be tested more often. Ease of self-collected sampling is not associated with age, gender, educational level or poverty. CONCLUSIONS: Chile currently does not have sexually transmitted infections surveillance or screening programs for youth and adolescents. Given self-collected sampling's good acceptability, it could be successfully used when these programs are implemented.

Adolescentes encuentran fácil tomar sus propias muestras para estudio de infecciones de transmisión sexual / Adolescents find it easy to collect their own samples to study sexually transmitted infections

Background: As alternative for patients that fear genital examination, we assessed adolescent's comfort and ease with self-collected samples for nucleic acid amplification testing for sexually transmitted infections. Patients and Methods: Sexually active Chilean adolescents and youth under 25 years (174 males and 117 females) were enrolled. Females used self-collected vaginal swabs and males collected first-stream urine. A satisfaction survey evaluating self-sampling system was applied. Results: Self-collection was considered easy in 99.3% of the interviewees (CI 95% 0.88-0.98). In women, 79.3% preferred vaginal self-collected samples than pelvic exam (CI 95% 0.73-0.85). In men, 80.3% preferred self-collected first-stream urine to urethral swabs (CI 95% 0.73-0.87). Assuming that self-collected sampling were available, 89.6% of women (CI 95% 0.85-0.94) and 93.2% of men (CI 95% 0.89-0.98) would be prone to be tested more often. Ease of self-collected sampling is not associated with age, gender, educational level or poverty. Conclusions: Chile currently does not have sexually transmitted infections surveillance or screening programs for youth and adolescents. Given self-collected sampling's good acceptability, it could be successfully used when these programs are implemented.

Introducción: Como alternativa para pacientes que temen al examen genital o para aquellos asintomáticos, se evaluó la satisfacción de adolescentes con el sistema de autotoma -muestra tomada por el propio paciente- para amplificación de ácidos nucleicos y determinación de infecciones de transmisión sexual (ITS). Material y Método: Se enrolaron 174 mujeres y 117 hombres menores de 25 años sexualmente activos. Las mujeres se realizaron autotoma con tórula vaginal. Los hombres, autotoma de orina de primer chorro. Se aplicó encuesta de satisfacción. Resultados: A 99,3%, le resultó fácil obtener muestras mediante autotoma (IC 95% 0,88-0,98). En mujeres, 79,3% prefirió la autotoma vaginal por sobre el examen pélvico (IC 95% 0,73-0,85). En hombres, 80,3% prefirió la autotoma de orina por sobre el hisopado uretral (IC 95% 0,73-0,87). Si la autotoma estuviera disponible, 89,7% de las mujeres (IC 95% 0,85-0,94) y 93,2% de los hombres (IC 95% 0,89-0,98) estarían dispuestos a someterse a un examen de ITS en forma más seguida. Encontrar fácil la autotoma no se asoció con edad, género, escolaridad ni pobreza. Conclusiones: Chile aún no tiene programas de vigilancia o detección de ITS para jóvenes y adolescentes. Dada la buena aceptabilidad de la autotoma, se podría emplear exitosamente cuando estos programas se implementen.