Abstract
Study Objective
To evaluate the effectiveness of a sexually transmitted infection (STI) intervention
by a health educator that included partner notification, condom use, and retesting
within 3 months.
Design, Setting, and Participants
Retrospective chart review was conducted, and data were collected from 274 sexually
active adolescent girls, aged 15 to 19 years, who were diagnosed with gonorrhea (GC),
Chlamydia (CT), and Trichomonas (TV) infection, during a 9-month span in an urban hospital–based adolescent medicine
clinic.
Methods
Data regarding recurrent STIs (GC, CT, and TV) were collected for 12 months following
the incident infection. There were 161 in the intervention group (health educator
counseling), and 113 controls who received usual care. Differences between groups
were analyzed using χ2 and survival analyses.
Results
There were no significant differences in age, gender, or race between the intervention
and control groups at baseline. The majority in both groups were diagnosed initially
with CT infection (57% CT, 16% GC, and 5% TV in the intervention group; 46% CT, 21%
GC, and 12% TV in the control group). There was a significantly lower rate of STI
in the intervention group for those retested within 12 months of the initial diagnosis
(P = .002). The median (SD) time to recurrence in the intervention group was greater:
134 (14.7) days versus 116 (12.1) days (P = .034). Health education counseling, initial diagnosis with TV, and duration of
time from initial diagnosis to retest (interval to retest) were significant protective
factors for recurrent STI.
Conclusions
Health education counseling in an urban adolescent clinic is effective in reducing
recurrent infection at 12-month follow-up and can serve as an important component
in reducing STI recidivism.
Key Words
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: February 19, 2015
Footnotes
The authors indicate no conflicts of interest.
Identification
Copyright
© 2015 North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
