Developing a culturally appropriate illustrated tool for the self-collection of anorectal specimens for the testing of sexually transmitted infections: Lessons from Papua New Guinea

Abstract

Background: Papua New Guinea (PNG) has a high prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). There is increasing evidence that anorectal STIs are important in terms of the dual epidemics of HIV and STIs in this setting. At the time of this study, anorectal STI testing was not possible, and there was no mechanism for self-collection of anorectal specimen among at risk 'key populations'. This paper documents the development of a culturally appropriate tool that has been used to facilitate self-collection of anorectal specimens with key populations in PNG. Methods: This qualitative study involved four focus groups conducted with a purposive sample of 35 participants, including female sex..