title: Long term effects of community-based STI screening and mass media HIV prevention messages on sexual risk behaviors of African American adolescents.
abstract: We examined the long-term effects of two interventions designed to reduce sexual risk behavior among African American adolescents. African American adolescents (N = 1383, ages 14-17) were recruited from community-based organizations over a period of 16 months in two northeastern and two southeastern mid-sized U.S. cities with high rates of sexually transmitted infection (STI). Participants were screened for three STIs (gonorrhea, chlamydia, and trichomoniasis) and completed an audio computer-assisted attitude, intention, and behavior self-interview. Youth who tested positive for an STI (8.3%) received treatment and risk reduction counseling. In addition, television and radio HIV-prevention messages were delivered during the recruitment period and 18 months of follow-up in one randomly selected city in each region. Analyses determined effects of the media program for those receiving a positive versus negative STI test result on number of sexual partners and occurrence of unprotected sex. Adolescents who tested STI-positive reduced their number of vaginal sex partners and the probability of unprotected sex over the first 6 months. However, in the absence of the mass media program, adolescents returned to their previously high levels of sexual risk behavior after 6 months. Adolescents who tested STI-positive and received the mass media program showed more stable reductions in unprotected sex. Community-based STI treatment and counseling can achieve significant, but short-lived reductions in sexual risk behavior among STI-positive youth. A culturally sensitive mass media program has the potential to achieve more stable reductions in sexual risk behavior and can help to optimize the effects of community-based STI screening.
authors.affiliation: Annenberg Public Policy Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, 19104-3806, USA. sznitmans@gmail.com
authors.forename: Sharon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sznitman
authors.forename: Bonita F
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Stanton
authors.forename: Peter A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Vanable
authors.forename: Michael P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Carey
authors.forename: Robert F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Valois
authors.forename: Larry K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Ralph
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: DiClemente
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hennessy
authors.forename: Laura F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Salazar
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Romer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006266:Health Education; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008402:Mass Media; D008403:Mass Screening; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014481:United States