title: Most adolescents who participate in school-based screenings for sexually transmitted infections do not perceive themselves at high risk of sexually transmitted infection.
abstract: Statements of study limitations have been made in a number of reports that voluntary participants in school-based screenings for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) may be individuals who self-select for participation because they perceive themselves at high risk of STI. We surveyed 3336 students participating in the New Orleans school-based screening for chlamydia and gonorrhoea to determine their perceived personal risk of STI. Among all screening participants, 1183 (35.5%) estimated that their chances of getting an STI were pretty high or very high and 2153 (64.5%) estimated that their chances were none, not very high or medium. These findings indicate that most participants in the New Orleans school-based screening for chlamydia and gonorrhoea do not perceive themselves at high risk of STI.
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, USA. mnsuam@lsuhsc.edu
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Nsuami
authors.forename: S N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Taylor
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006069:Gonorrhea / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D055820:New Orleans / Q000453:epidemiology; D012574:Schools; D013334:Students; D055815:Young Adult