Young Aussies delay GP visits for sexual healthcare during pandemic: study
Patients have put off STI treatment, obtaining contraceptives and screening because they didn’t want to leave home during lockdowns, surveys show
One-quarter of Australians under 30 have delayed seeking sexual healthcare because of fears of contracting COVID-19, a qualitative study shows.
Contraception, routine checkups and cervical screening were among the services being put off as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold in Australia, according to University of Melbourne researchers.
“I put off my Pap smear because I didn’t want to go to the doctors and risk getting sick or being exposed to sickness,” one woman told the researchers.
Another said: “I put off many pregnancy GP checks and hospital visits due to fear of COVID-19.”
