Health care seeking behaviors related to sexually transmitted diseases among adolescents.
OBJECTIVE
This study identified social, cognitive, and behavioral factors associated with how adolescents seek health care for sexually transmitted diseases.


METHODS
Data for male and female adolescents (n = 208) attending a clinic specializing in sexually transmitted diseases were examined.


RESULTS
Symptomatic female adolescents required greater time to obtain care than asymptomatic female adolescents or symptomatic male adolescents. Factors affecting duration of care seeking interval included perception of barriers to care, lower self-efficacy for response to a sexually transmitted disease, greater perceived seriousness of sexually transmitted diseases, previous history of sexually transmitted diseases, and stigma.


CONCLUSIONS
Improved secondary sexually transmitted disease prevention efforts among adolescents require reductions in barriers to care and improved symptom recognition by adolescents.
Fortenberry
J D
JD
Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University, Indianapolis, USA.
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D002641:Chicago; D003071:Cognition; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012737:Sex Factors; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases; D012944:Social Support