Acceptability of self-collected oropharyngeal swabs for gonorrhoea and chlamydia screening among men who have sex with men in a sexual health clinic setting.

Publication date: Dec 23, 2025

Self-collected oropharyngeal swabs for gonorrhoea and chlamydia screening were widely adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic to reduce transmission risks. Although self-collection is established for other anatomical sites, limited data exist on the acceptability of oropharyngeal self-collection among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, particularly across levels of experience. We conducted a cross-sectional online survey among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men attending Melbourne Sexual Health Centre between June 2020 and October 2022. Participants were invited via SMS within a day of self-collecting an oropharyngeal swab. The survey assessed swab experience, comfort and preference for clinician- or self-collection. Logistic regression examined factors associated with preferring clinician collection. Among 381 participants, 47. 6% (181/381) preferred clinician collection, 30. 5% (116/381) had no preference and 21. 8% (83/381) preferred self-collection for oropharyngeal samples. Two-thirds (253/381) found self-collection easy or very easy. Preference for clinician collection was independently associated with anxiety about correct technique (aOR 4. 9, 95% CI 2. 5-9. 5) and difficulty swabbing the back of the oropharynx (aOR 3. 6, 95% CI 1. 4-9. 2). Although most gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men found oropharyngeal self-collection easy, nearly half preferred clinician collection, largely due to concerns about correct technique. Enhancing instructional support and addressing confidence may improve acceptability, and support ongoing use of self-collection in sexual healthcare delivery.

Semantics

Original Article