Adolescent condom use and perceptions of risk for sexually transmitted diseases: a prospective study.
BACKGROUND
The authors' previous research has shown that in cross-sectional analysis, partner-specific perceptions of risk for gonorrhea and chlamydial and HIV infection correlated with partner-specific intentions to use condoms.


OBJECTIVE
The goal was to determine whether partner-specific measures of perception of risk for STDs (PRSTD) predict partner-specific condom use 6 months later among high-risk and low-risk youth.


METHODS
Youths aged 14 to 19 years were recruited from an STD clinic (n = 236) and an HMO teen clinic (n = 306) and were interviewed at baseline and at 6 months about PRSTD, attitudes about condoms, self-efficacy, normative expectations, and condom use.


RESULTS
PRSTD with a main sex partner was an independent predictor of condom use with a main sex partner in the STD clinic cohort (odds ratio = 2.5; 95% CI = 1.1-6.2). There was no association between PRSTD with a casual sex partner and condom use in this cohort or between PRSTD for main or casual sex partners and condom use in the HMO teen clinic cohort.


CONCLUSIONS
Interventions that target high-risk adolescents should focus on PRSTD with a main sex partner.
Ellen
Jonathan M
JM
Department of Pediatrics, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA. jellen@jhmi.edu
Adler
Nancy
N
Gurvey
Jill E
JE
Millstein
Susan G
SG
Tschann
Jeanne
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D000328:Adult; D017280:Condoms / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012495:San Francisco; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012747:Sexual Partners; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology*; D012938:Social Perception