Background:
Early detection of CT and NGC infections in young women through screening and treatment of asymptomatic and symptomatic infection is important to decrease tubal damage and PID.

Objective:
To determine the pros (good things) and cons (not so good things) of young women seeking screening for CT and NGC infection.

Method:
Statements provided by 192 young women (66% African American, mean age 18.9 years) at a reproductive health clinic during an exercise to identify pros and cons to CT and NGC screening were analyzed. Primary thematic categories were developed through a two-step coding process and each statement was assigned to one of the categories. The frequency of unduplicated primary response categories endorsed by participants was calculated.

Result:
A total of 569 pros statements and 295 cons statements represented unduplicated primary response categories. The coding process produced ten categories: healthy, awareness, systemic, treatment, partner trust, confidentiality, prevention / protection, effect on others, fear / aversion, and barriers; Most pro statements (87%) referred to awareness of knowing what is going on with the body, good health (72%), treatment benefits (56%) and effect on others (33.7%). Of the con statements, 56% referred to barriers (time, transportation) and fear/aversion to testing (47%).

Conclusion:
Health promotion efforts might include the benefits from screening of good health, treatment benefits and less worry about self and others. For young women already seeking clinical services, systemic issues and confidentiality appear to be of lesser importance. Also for young women in a clinical setting it would be important to emphasize ways to minimize barriers and fears associated with seeking screening.

Implications:
This study provides insight into the importance of themes and relevant pros and cons that factor into a young woman's decision to seek CT and NGC screening.