Why adolescents delay with presentation to hospital with acute testicular pain: a qualitative study

Background / Purpose Adolescents have poor outcomes following testicular torsion directly attributable to delay from onset of symptoms to presentation to hospital. The aim of this study was to investigate the barriers to urgent presentation in young men. Methods Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with young men (11-19 years), using a topic guide exploring issues surrounding testicular pain and health. Thematic analysis was undertaken using a framework approach. Results Twenty-seven adolescents were recruited, data saturation was reached at sixteen participants, median age 13.5 years (range 11-18). The process by which an adolescent gets to hospital with testicular pain is slow. They must recognise the problem and alert their parents, who then use a ‘watch and wait’ policy to assess need for medical review, often leaving it ‘a day’ or overnight. Adolescent males do not engage with healthcare services independently of their parents. Additional factors preventing early presentation include: absence of knowledge about testicular pathology from adolescents and their parents; concern from the young people about raising a false alarm and family concerns about burdening healthcare services. Conclusions Recommendations include designing a testicular health education campaign for young men and educating parents regarding the medical conditions where a ‘watch and wait’ policy may be harmful to their child.