title: The impact of brief messages on HSV-2 screening uptake among female defendants in a court setting: a randomized controlled trial utilizing prospect theory.
abstract: Epidemiologic data demonstrate that women involved with the criminal justice system in the United States are at high risk for sexually transmitted infections, including herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2). Female defendants were recruited from a misdemeanor court to assess whether brief framed messages utilizing prospect theory could encourage testing for HSV-2. Participants were randomly assigned to a message condition (gain, loss, or control), completed an interviewer-administered survey assessing factors associated with antibody test uptake/refusal and were offered free point-of-care HSV-2 serologic testing. Although individuals in the loss-frame group accepted testing at the highest rate, an overall statistical difference in HSV-2 testing behavior by group (p ≤ .43) was not detected. The majority of the sample (74.6%) characterized receiving a serological test for HSV-2 as health affirming. However, this did not moderate the effect of the intervention nor was it significantly associated with test acceptance (p ≤ .82). Although the effects of message framing are subtle, the findings have important theoretical implications given the participants' characterization of HSV-2 screening as health affirming despite being a detection behavior. Implications of study results for health care providers interested in brief, low cost interventions are also explored.
authors.affiliation: a School of Public Health , Drexel University , Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , USA.
authors.forename: Alexis M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Roth
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Van Der Pol
authors.forename: J Dennis
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Fortenberry
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dodge
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reece
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Certo
authors.forename: Gregory D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Zimet
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D058015:Health Communication / Q000379:methods*; D006558:Herpes Genitalis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D018258:Herpesvirus 2, Human; D006801:Humans; D033222:Judicial Role; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010565:Persuasive Communication; D011582:Psychological Theory; D014481:United States