The Impact of Community-Based Sexually Transmitted Infection Screening Results on Sexual Risk Behaviors of African American Adolescents
Received 27 July 2009; accepted 21 December 2009. published online 08 March 2010.
Abstract
Purpose
To examine the effect of a community-based sexually transmitted infection (STI) screening program on sexual risk behavior among African American adolescents. We hypothesized that adolescents testing positive for an STI and receiving post-test counseling would reduce risky sexual practices, whereas STI-negative adolescents would show little or no change in protective sexual behavior after screening.
Methods
From August 2006 to January 2008, we recruited 636 sexually active African American adolescents (age, 14–17) from community-based organizations in two mid-sized U.S. cities with high STI prevalence. Participants were screened for three STIs (gonorrhea, chlamydia, and trichomoniasis) and completed an audio computer-assisted self-interview. Youth who tested positive for an STI (6.6%) received treatment and counseling. Youth testing negative received no further intervention. Approximately 85% of participants completed 3- and 6-month follow-up assessments. Generalized estimating equations determined the effects of STI screening on adolescents' number of sexual partners and occurrence of unprotected sex.
Results
Adolescents who tested positive for an STI reduced their number of vaginal and oral sex partners and the probability of unprotected sex. STI-negative adolescents demonstrated no change for numbers of partners or unprotected sex.
Conclusions
Community-based STI screening can help to reduce sexual risk behavior in youth who test positive for STIs. Alternative approaches will be needed to reduce risk behavior in youth who test negative but who are nevertheless at risk for acquiring an STI.
aAdolescent Risk Communication Institute, Annenberg Public Policy Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
bDepartment of Psychology, Center for Health & Behavior, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York
cDepartment of Behavioral Sciences and Health Education, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
dDepartment of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
eDepartment of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina
fDepartment of Pathology, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
gDepartment of Pediatrics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan
Address correspondence to: Sharon R. Sznitman, Ph.D., Annenberg Public Policy Center, Adolescent Risk Communication Institute, University of Pennsylvania, 202 S. 36th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104.
There are no financial conflicts of interest in relation to this study.
The data in this study stem from a project funded by the US National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), Office on AIDS. The content of this article is solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the NIMH.
ABSTRACT