Sexual health service users’ perspectives on artificial intelligence applications for identification of lesions associated with sexually transmissible infections: A qualitative study
Background: Early identification of sexually transmissible infections (STIs) is central to their control by facilitating timely access to healthcare. A web-based sexual health application using artificial intelligence (AI) to identify the risk of a genital or anal lesion being an STI, from a photogr...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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SAGE Publishing
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Digital Health |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1177/20552076251361749 |
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| _version_ | 1849709115470774272 |
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| author | Alicia J King Nyi Nyi Soe Phyu Mon Latt Lei Zhang Meredith Temple-Smith Kate Maddaford Christopher K Fairley Eric PF Chow Tiffany R Phillips |
| author_facet | Alicia J King Nyi Nyi Soe Phyu Mon Latt Lei Zhang Meredith Temple-Smith Kate Maddaford Christopher K Fairley Eric PF Chow Tiffany R Phillips |
| author_sort | Alicia J King |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Early identification of sexually transmissible infections (STIs) is central to their control by facilitating timely access to healthcare. A web-based sexual health application using artificial intelligence (AI) to identify the risk of a genital or anal lesion being an STI, from a photographic image, is in development. However, the usefulness, accessibility, and acceptability of this technology to potential users are unknown. Method: This research adopted a developmental evaluation approach to explore potential users’ views of the usefulness of this AI application, as well as factors impacting its acceptability and accessibility. Three focus groups were conducted with attendees of a sexual health clinic. Focus group discussions were recorded, transcribed, and analysed using action coding to identify key concepts. Results: A diverse group of 12 participants provided feedback on the proposed application. Feedback on the application's usefulness highlighted its potential value in supporting access to individualised sexual health information; informing decisions about healthcare seeking; and preventing transmission to others. Factors mediating the accessibility and acceptability of AI-powered applications included potential users’ awareness of the application; concerns about data security; the accessibility of the application to diverse user groups; trust in the technology; and transparency about the application's limitations. Conclusion: AI applications for the identification of visible changes in the ano-genital region have the potential to support access to sexual health information, healthcare seeking and the prevention of onward transmission of STIs. Codesign approaches will increase the likelihood of more widespread uptake and public health impact of AI-powered sexual health applications. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-272bcd10d94646d69443bd37c025ce62 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2055-2076 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | SAGE Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Digital Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-272bcd10d94646d69443bd37c025ce622025-08-20T03:15:26ZengSAGE PublishingDigital Health2055-20762025-07-011110.1177/20552076251361749Sexual health service users’ perspectives on artificial intelligence applications for identification of lesions associated with sexually transmissible infections: A qualitative studyAlicia J King0Nyi Nyi Soe1Phyu Mon Latt2Lei Zhang3Meredith Temple-Smith4Kate Maddaford5Christopher K Fairley6Eric PF Chow7Tiffany R Phillips8 Department of General Practice and Primary Care, , Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Department of General Practice and Primary Care, , Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, , Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Background: Early identification of sexually transmissible infections (STIs) is central to their control by facilitating timely access to healthcare. A web-based sexual health application using artificial intelligence (AI) to identify the risk of a genital or anal lesion being an STI, from a photographic image, is in development. However, the usefulness, accessibility, and acceptability of this technology to potential users are unknown. Method: This research adopted a developmental evaluation approach to explore potential users’ views of the usefulness of this AI application, as well as factors impacting its acceptability and accessibility. Three focus groups were conducted with attendees of a sexual health clinic. Focus group discussions were recorded, transcribed, and analysed using action coding to identify key concepts. Results: A diverse group of 12 participants provided feedback on the proposed application. Feedback on the application's usefulness highlighted its potential value in supporting access to individualised sexual health information; informing decisions about healthcare seeking; and preventing transmission to others. Factors mediating the accessibility and acceptability of AI-powered applications included potential users’ awareness of the application; concerns about data security; the accessibility of the application to diverse user groups; trust in the technology; and transparency about the application's limitations. Conclusion: AI applications for the identification of visible changes in the ano-genital region have the potential to support access to sexual health information, healthcare seeking and the prevention of onward transmission of STIs. Codesign approaches will increase the likelihood of more widespread uptake and public health impact of AI-powered sexual health applications.https://doi.org/10.1177/20552076251361749 |
| spellingShingle | Alicia J King Nyi Nyi Soe Phyu Mon Latt Lei Zhang Meredith Temple-Smith Kate Maddaford Christopher K Fairley Eric PF Chow Tiffany R Phillips Sexual health service users’ perspectives on artificial intelligence applications for identification of lesions associated with sexually transmissible infections: A qualitative study Digital Health |
| title | Sexual health service users’ perspectives on artificial intelligence applications for identification of lesions associated with sexually transmissible infections: A qualitative study |
| title_full | Sexual health service users’ perspectives on artificial intelligence applications for identification of lesions associated with sexually transmissible infections: A qualitative study |
| title_fullStr | Sexual health service users’ perspectives on artificial intelligence applications for identification of lesions associated with sexually transmissible infections: A qualitative study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Sexual health service users’ perspectives on artificial intelligence applications for identification of lesions associated with sexually transmissible infections: A qualitative study |
| title_short | Sexual health service users’ perspectives on artificial intelligence applications for identification of lesions associated with sexually transmissible infections: A qualitative study |
| title_sort | sexual health service users perspectives on artificial intelligence applications for identification of lesions associated with sexually transmissible infections a qualitative study |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1177/20552076251361749 |
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