PUBLIC HEALTH

Oral contraceptive use may not preclude condom use: a study of non-pregnant African-American adolescent females

Richard A Crosby¹, Ralph J DiClemente², Gina M Wingood^2,3, Laura F Salazar^2,3, Eve Rose², Jessica M Sales² and Angela M Caliendo⁴

¹ Department of Health Behavior, College of Public Health, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
² Department of Behavioral Sciences & Health Education, Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
³ Emory Center for AIDS Research, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
⁴ Department of Medicine (Infectious Diseases), Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Dr R A Crosby
Department of Health Behavior, College of Public Health, University of Kentucky, 121 Washington Avenue, Lexington, KY 40506-0003, USA; crosby{at}uky.edu

Objective: To determine the association between oral contraceptive and condom use, and laboratory-confirmed sexually transmitted infection (STI) among African-American adolescent females at a high risk of STI acquisition.

Methods: A cross-sectional study of 715 African-American adolescent females (15–21 years old) was conducted. Data collection included (a) an audio-computer-assisted self-interview and a self-collected vaginal swab for nucleic acid amplification testing of Trichomonas vaginalis, Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

Results: The age-adjusted odds ratio (AOR) indicated a modest protective effect of oral contraceptive use against unprotected vaginal sex (UVS) using a 60-day recall period (AOR = 0.66; 95% CI 0.43 to 0.99). The age-adjusted difference in mean frequency of UVS in the past 60 days was non-significant (p = 0.23) as was condom use at last sex (p = 0.34). The age-AOR relative to STI prevalence also showed a protective effect (AOR = 0.60; 95% CI 0.36 to 0.98) for those using oral contraceptives.

Conclusion: The findings suggest that the use of oral contraceptives may not preclude safer sex practices for the prevention of STIs among high-risk African-American adolescent females.

Abbreviations: STI, sexually transmitted infection; UVS, unprotected vaginal sex

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