rss
Sex Transm Infect 2003;79:408-411 doi:10.1136/sti.79.5.408
  • Original Article

Adolescent women underestimate their susceptibility to sexually transmitted infections

  1. K A Ethier1,
  2. T Kershaw2,
  3. L Niccolai2,
  4. J B Lewis2,
  5. J R Ickovics2
  1. 1Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention, Division of STD Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA, USA
  2. 2Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
  1. Correspondence to:
 Kathleen A Ethier, Ph.D., Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for HIV, STD and TB Prevention, Division of STD Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road., NE, MS-E44, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA; 
 kbe0{at}cdc.gov
  • Accepted 14 April 2003

Abstract

Objectives: Adolescent females are at significant risk for sexually transmitted infections (STI) and may not accurately incorporate indicators of risk into their perceptions of susceptibility. The objectives of the current analyses were to: (1) examine the relation between perceived susceptibility and indicators of risk; and (2) investigate the relation between perceived susceptibility and actual STI diagnosis.

Methods: Participants were 209 sexually active adolescent females. Indicators of STI risk included STI history, recent symptoms, and sexual risk behaviour (that is, recent unprotected sex and numbers of sexual partners). Chlamydia and gonorrhoea infection were assessed at baseline, 6, and 12 months post-baseline using urine based ligase chain reaction testing.

Results: Most participants perceived little or no chance that they would be diagnosed with an STI in the following year. There was no relation between almost all STI indicators and perceptions of susceptibility. Among those receiving a positive chlamydia or gonorrhoea test (n=49) at baseline or in the year following, almost all (81.3%) had perceived themselves to be at little or no risk.

Conclusion: The adolescent females in this sample did not accurately perceive their susceptibility to STI. They must be enabled to more effectively assess and modify their risk.

Footnotes

  • This research was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health grant #P01 MH/DA 56826-01A1

This Article

  1. Abstract
  2. Full text
  3. PDF

Responses

  1. Submit a response
  2. No responses published

Register for free content

The full back archive is now available for all BMJ Journals. Institutional subscribers may access the entire archive as part of their subscription. Personal subscribers will also have access to all content when logged in. Non-subscribers who register have free access to all articles published before 2006 right back to volume 1 issue 1. Register here to access the free archive of all BMJ Journals.

Don't forget to sign up for content alerts so you keep up to date with all the articles as they are published.