ABSTRACT
The aim of this chapter is to consider the association between sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and the concept of dirt. This discussion is founded upon a qualitative research study undertaken in central England which explored the experiences of individuals who had contracted genital chlamydial infection. In this study, data collection was by means of single, standalone, in-depth, unstructured interviews. Whilst both males and females were included in the study, in this chapter I will confine the discussion to the female experience and draw upon the data derived from interviews with the forty females aged 16-29 years who participated. The majority of the interviews were conducted in a genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinic based within a medium-sized district general hospital and took place approximately four weeks after diagnosis. A small proportion of interviews were conducted in a town centre family planning clinic serving the same population. For these individuals the infection was a less recent experience, and therefore their inclusion provided a longer-term perspective.
