Factors associated with travel to non-local genitourinary medicine clinics for gonorrhoea: an analysis of patients diagnosed in London, 2009–10

Abstract

We analysed factors associated with travelling to non-local genitourinary medicine clinics for gonorrhoea care in London. We used surveillance data on London residents attending genitourinary medicine clinics in 2009–10 and calculated distances between patients’ areas of residence and both the nearest genitourinary medicine clinic and the clinic attended. Non-local clinics were attended by 5408 (46.7%) patients. Men having sex with men attended non-local services more than heterosexuals (OR 3.83, p < 0.001). Among heterosexual men, black Africans and black Caribbeans were more likely, and South Asians less likely, to attend non-local services compared to whites (OR [95%CI] 1.33 [1.04–1.72], 1.36 [1.11–1.67] and 0.46 [0.31–0.70] respectively). Similar associations, although not statistically significant, were found in women. People were more likely to attend local services if their local clinic provided walk-in and young people’s services, weekend consultations and long opening hours. These findings could help design services meeting local population needs and facilitate prompt and equitable access to care.