“That sort of place …where filthy men go …”: a qualitative study of women's perceptions of genitourinary medicine services

A stigma is a pejorative social label. Stigmatisation is a process by which individuals are made to experience isolation and reduced opportunities in life. Some diseases are particularly associated with stigmatising attitudes; this applies particularly to sexually transmitted infections. Although several studies report the effects of stigma, no study to date has attempted to investigate its nature, which is a prerequisite to designing health interventions. This qualitative, exploratory study investigated the experience of stigma among young women recently diagnosed with an STI and considered the implications of these experiences in terms of maximising access to GUM clinics.