Gonorrhea and chlamydia screening among young women: stage of change, decisional balance, and self-efficacy.
OBJECTIVE
To assess perceived sexually transmitted disease (STD) (gonorrhea and chlamdydia) screening behaviors among young women at risk for STDs by evaluating readiness, pros and cons, and self-efficacy to seek STD screening in the absence of symptoms.


METHODS
Two hundred forty young urban women (mean 18.8 years +/-1.59) consecutively attending an urban reproductive clinic voluntarily completed a 67-item questionnaire on STD screening behaviors that included the stages of change (SOCs), decisional balance, and self-efficacy as well as sexual practices and partner relationships. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, multivariate analyses of variance, Chi-square tests, and Wilcoxon signed rank test.


RESULTS
Ninety-five percent of the participants would be willing to obtain STD screening for early disease detection. Participants were further along the SOCs for STD screening following unprotected sex with a change in partner than main partner, (p <.001). Pros and cons of STD screening varied according to the SOCs for STD screening with a change in partner and main partner. Self-efficacy increased linearly along the SOCs for STD screening (p <.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Most young women recognize the importance of STD screening but are not currently being tested when at risk for STDs. STD screening behaviors varied according to the partner relationship, which highlights the importance of stage- and partner-matched counseling to promote STD screening particularly when at risk for STDs.
Banikarim
Chantay
C
Eric Williams Science Medical Center, Department of Pediatrics, Trincity, Trinidad, West Indies.
Chacko
Mariam R
MR
Wiemann
Constance M
CM
Smith
Peggy B
PB
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D006069:Gonorrhea / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011336:Probability; D012307:Risk Factors; D012309:Risk-Taking; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires