| dc.description.abstract | BACKGROUND: Access to sexual healthcare is a significant challenge, particularly for the male population, an area that remains under-researched. This study delves into the factors influencing access to sexual healthcare services among young adult males in Istanbul, with a special focus on the role of sexual health literacy. The study explores the journey from patient-physician interaction and active engagement in the appraisal of health knowledge and risk, to the practical translation of this knowledge into the utilization of sexual healthcare services. METHODS: An anonymous e-survey, conducted in a cross-sectional format, gathered data on sexual health knowledge, literacy (assessed through the Health Literacy Questionnaire), self-reported perceived risk for STIs, indicators of risk, and perceived barriers to sexual healthcare. The survey aimed to capture a comprehensive picture of the various factors affecting access to sexual healthcare. RESULTS: The research revealed a generally low access rate to sexual healthcare services among the study participants, coupled with significant disparities in service utilization, knowledge, literacy, and risk perception. Notably, it was observed that education and proactive interaction with healthcare providers were linked to enhanced knowledge. The study also identified crucial connections between the level of knowledge, active self-management, and other factors in influencing risk perception and access to healthcare services. CONCLUSION: The findings underscore the need for comprehensive sexual education and literacy programs that are culturally appropriate and suggest changes in service delivery methods to be more proactive and confidential. Peer education emerged as a potential strategy. The study highlights the importance of accurate public health risk messaging and need for bridging the cognitive gap in risk appraisal. The knowledge-action gap to access requires further research to investigate disparities in access to health information, including longitudinal and qualitative studies to understand the role of appraisal of information in health literacy and healthcare seeking behaviour. | eng |