RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Sexually transmitted infections and sexual behaviour of deploying shipboard US military personnel: a cross-sectional analysis JF Sexually Transmitted Infections JO Sex Transm Infect FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd SP 581 OP 588 DO 10.1136/sextrans-2015-052163 VO 91 IS 8 A1 Judith Harbertson A1 Paul T Scott A1 John Moore A1 Michael Wolf A1 James Morris A1 Scott Thrasher A1 Michael D'Onofrio A1 Michael P Grillo A1 Marni B Jacobs A1 Bonnie R Tran A1 Jun Tian A1 Stanley I Ito A1 Jennifer McAnany A1 Nelson Michael A1 Braden R Hale YR 2015 UL http://sti.bmj.com/content/91/8/581.abstract AB Objectives Sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevalence and risk behaviour may differ at different phases of deployment. We examined STI prevalence and sexual behaviour in the predeployment time period (12 months prior) among recently deployed shipboard US Navy and Marine Corps military personnel.Methods Data were collected from 1938 male and 515 female service members through an anonymous, self-completed survey assessing sexual behaviours and STI acquisition characteristics in the past 12 months. Cross-sectional sex-stratified descriptive statistics are reported.Results Overall, 67% (n=1262/1896) reported last sex with a military beneficiary (spouse, n=931, non-spouse service member, n=331). Among those with a sexual partner outside their primary partnership, 24% (n=90/373) reported using a condom the last time they had sex and 30% (n=72/243) reported their outside partner was a service member. In total, 90% (n=210/233) reported acquiring their most recent STI in the USA (88%, n=126/143 among those reporting ≥1 deployments and an STI ≥1 year ago) and a significantly higher proportion (p<0.01) of women than men acquired the STI from their regular partner (54% vs 21%) and/or a service member (50% vs 26%).Conclusions Findings suggest a complex sexual network among service members and military beneficiaries. Findings may extend to other mobile civilian and military populations. Data suggest most STI transmission within the shipboard community may occur in local versus foreign ports but analyses from later time points in deployment are needed. These data may inform more effective STI prevention interventions.