Computer-assisted interviewing can encourage the disclosure of sexual risk-taking behaviour, a study has found. However, this approach was not accompanied by an increase in STI diagnoses. A total of 2,351 patients over the age of 16 with a new clinical episode attending two large sexual health clinics in central and SW London were enrolled in the trial. Patients were randomised into three arms: computer-assisted self-interview (CASI) with a touch-screen computer in private, after which a clinician assessed a computer printout of the history; computer-assisted personal interview (CAPI) where patient and clinician view the screen together but the data is input by the clinician, using the same interview schedule as in CASI; pen and paper interview (PAPI) with a clinician as per usual care completing a proforma. In the third group, data from clinic notes were transferred into same electronic format as CASI and CAPI.  'Embarrassment is a huge barrier for both doctors and patients in general practice which gets in the way of good sexual healthcare. It appears the use of computers to take sexual histories can yield more sensitive sexual behaviours, but whether patients are willing to disclose these to their GP and have them recorded in their notes might be a different matter.'