TY - JOUR
T1 - Sexual abstinence and other behaviours immediately following a new STI diagnosis among STI clinic patients
T2 - Findings from the Safe in the City trial
AU - Safe in the City Study Group
AU - Gallo, Maria F.
AU - Margolis, Andrew D.
AU - Malotte, C. Kevin
AU - Rietmeijer, Cornelis A.
AU - Klausner, Jeffrey D.
AU - O'Donnell, Lydia
AU - Warner, Lee
AU - Patterson, Jocelyn
AU - Borkowf, Craig
AU - Purcell, David
AU - O'Leary, Ann
AU - Zhang, Fan
AU - Wang, Terry
AU - Neumann, Mary
AU - Iqbal, Kashif
AU - Byers, Bob
AU - Burstein, Gale
AU - Peterman, Thomas
AU - Satterwhite, Catherine Lindsey
AU - Douglas, John
AU - Bull, Sheana
AU - Richardson, Doug
AU - Foster, Mark
AU - Cooper, Stuart
AU - Caine, Julie
AU - Rothbard, Rebecca
AU - Sapp-Jones, Terry
AU - Brooks, Lesley
AU - San Doval, Alexi
AU - Myint-U, Athi
AU - Duran, Richard
AU - O'Donnell, Carl
AU - Vrungos, Shelley
AU - DeAugustine, Nettie
AU - Kau, Chris
AU - Denson, Inez
AU - Smorick, Marina Ohlson
AU - Bernhard, Ann Marie
AU - Greenwood, Gregory
AU - Hunt, Carolyn
AU - Varela, Elizabeth
AU - Filocamo, Kevin
AU - Bandy, David
PY - 2016/5
Y1 - 2016/5
N2 - Background Few studies have assessed patients' sexual behaviours during the period immediately following a new diagnosis of a curable sexually transmitted infection (STI). Methods Data were analysed from a behavioural study nested within the Safe in the City trial, which evaluated a video-based STI/HIV prevention intervention in three urban STI clinics. We studied 450 patients who reported having received a new STI diagnosis, or STI treatment, 3 months earlier. Participants reported on whether they seriously considered, attempted and succeeded in adopting seven sex-related behaviours in the interval following the diagnostic visit. We used multivariable logistic regression to identify, among men, correlates of two behaviours related to immediately reducing reinfection risk and preventing further STI transmission: sexual abstinence until participants were adequately treated and abstinence until their partners were tested for STIs. Results Most participants reported successfully abstaining from sex until they were adequately treated for their baseline infection (89%-90%) and from sex with potentially exposed partners until their partners were tested for HIV and other STIs (66%-70%). Among men who intended to be abstinent until they were adequately treated, those who did not discuss the risks with a partner who was possibly exposed were more likely not to be abstinent (OR, 3.7; 95% CI 1.5 to 9.0) than those who had this discussion. Similarly, among men who intended to abstain from sex with any potentially exposed partner until the partner was tested for HIV and other STIs, those who reported not discussing the risks of infecting each other with HIV/STIs were more likely to be sexually active during this period (OR, 3.5; 95% CI 1.6 to 8.1) than were those who reported this communication. Conclusions Improved partner communication could facilitate an important role in the adoption of protective behaviours in the interval immediately after receiving a new STI diagnosis.
AB - Background Few studies have assessed patients' sexual behaviours during the period immediately following a new diagnosis of a curable sexually transmitted infection (STI). Methods Data were analysed from a behavioural study nested within the Safe in the City trial, which evaluated a video-based STI/HIV prevention intervention in three urban STI clinics. We studied 450 patients who reported having received a new STI diagnosis, or STI treatment, 3 months earlier. Participants reported on whether they seriously considered, attempted and succeeded in adopting seven sex-related behaviours in the interval following the diagnostic visit. We used multivariable logistic regression to identify, among men, correlates of two behaviours related to immediately reducing reinfection risk and preventing further STI transmission: sexual abstinence until participants were adequately treated and abstinence until their partners were tested for STIs. Results Most participants reported successfully abstaining from sex until they were adequately treated for their baseline infection (89%-90%) and from sex with potentially exposed partners until their partners were tested for HIV and other STIs (66%-70%). Among men who intended to be abstinent until they were adequately treated, those who did not discuss the risks with a partner who was possibly exposed were more likely not to be abstinent (OR, 3.7; 95% CI 1.5 to 9.0) than those who had this discussion. Similarly, among men who intended to abstain from sex with any potentially exposed partner until the partner was tested for HIV and other STIs, those who reported not discussing the risks of infecting each other with HIV/STIs were more likely to be sexually active during this period (OR, 3.5; 95% CI 1.6 to 8.1) than were those who reported this communication. Conclusions Improved partner communication could facilitate an important role in the adoption of protective behaviours in the interval immediately after receiving a new STI diagnosis.
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/84964692666
U2 - 10.1136/sextrans-2014-051982
DO - 10.1136/sextrans-2014-051982
M3 - Article
C2 - 26670913
AN - SCOPUS:84964692666
SN - 1368-4973
VL - 92
SP - 206
EP - 210
JO - Sexually Transmitted Infections
JF - Sexually Transmitted Infections
IS - 3
ER -