A STD/HIV prevention trial among adolescents in managed care

Abstract

Objective: To determine if sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, risk assessment, and education tools provided as part of office-based primary care reduce adolescent risky sexual behaviors.

Design: A randomized intervention trial with 3- and 9-month follow-up.

Setting: Five staff-model managed care sites in Washington, DC (n = 19 pediatricians).

Patients: Consecutive 12- to 15-year-olds receiving a general health examination; 81% minority. Participation rate = 215/432 (50%). Nine-month follow-up rate = 197/215 (92%).

Intervention: Audiotaped STD risk assessment and education about staying safe (safer = condoms, safest = abstinence).

Main outcome measures: Adolescent-reported sexual intercourse and condom use.

Results: More intervention adolescents reported pediatrician discussion on 11/13 sexual topics. Although more vaginal intercourse (odds ratio [OR] = 2.46, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.04-5.84) was reported in the intervention group at 3 months, this was not true of overall sexual intercourse (OR = 1.55, 95% CI =.73-3.32). More sexually active adolescents reported condom use in the intervention group at 3 months (OR = 18.05, 95% CI = 1.27-256.03). At 9 months, there were no group differences in sexual behaviors; however, more signs of STD were reported by the control (7/103) than the intervention group (0/94).

Conclusions: STD risk assessment and education tools administered in a single office visit facilitated STD/HIV prevention education. Any impact on sexual activity and condom use was short-lived. Further research is needed to develop brief, office-based sexual risk reduction for young adolescents.