Partner Notification and Treatment of Chlamydia and Gonorrhea in African American Adolescent Women 公开

Buchsbaum, Anna (2013)

Permanent URL: https://etd.library.emory.edu/concern/etds/p8418n402?locale=zh
Published

Abstract

African American adolescent women in the Southern United States carry a disproportionately high burden of Chlamydia and gonorrhea infections when compared to women of the same age but of different race/ethnicity or geographic location. Additionally, Chlamydia and gonorrhea re-infection rates are 1.7 times higher in adolescents than in older women. Successfully reducing re-infection rates may lead to lower overall prevalence of disease. However, decreasing re-infection rates is contingent on successful partner notification and partner treatment. Therefore, understanding the factors that influence partner notification and treatment is critical.

This study aimed to 1) describe preferences for different partner notification and treatment strategies; 2) identify the individual, relationship, and other psychosocial factors associated with high self-efficacy for partner notification; 3) describe the proportion of adolescents in this high risk population who are re-infected with a sexually transmitted infection (STI) and; 4) identify the factors associated with whether an infected patient notified her partner of a positive STI diagnosis.

This was a prospective cohort study. Of the 350 participants recruited at baseline 85.1% (297) would prefer telling their partner about an STI diagnosis themselves versus having a health care provider tell their partner. Seventy-one percent (247) would prefer to bring their partner to the clinic for treatment instead of giving him pills or a prescription to fill. Ninety-three (26.7%) were STI positive at baseline and 55 of these participated in a follow up survey. At follow-up the proportion of positive repeat STI tests was 23.9%. High self-efficacy for partner notification of a positive STI diagnosis was seen in older, participants with fewer lifetime sexual partners who were in a serious relationship at the time of enrollment.

STI re-infection rates in African American Adolescent women are high. Traditional methods for partner notification and treatment may not be adequate in this population. Therefore, Alternative strategies for partner notification and treatment like offering male partners concurrent clinic appointments may improve partner treatment rates and decrease reinfection.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Introduction.................................................................. 1

Chapter 2: Literature Review......................................................... 6

Epidemiology of Chlamydia and gonorrhea infections................... 6

Re-infection........................................................................... 7

Importance of partner notification............................................. 7

Previous treatment approaches.................................................. 8

Importance of relationship issues............................................... 9

Prior studies of partner notification among adolescents.................. 10

Chapter 3: Methods........................................................................ 13

Chapter 4: Results.......................................................................... 18

Baseline................................................................................. 18

Follow-Up............................................................................... 28

Chapter 5: Discussion...................................................................... 35

Limitations.............................................................................. 37

Implications............................................................................. 38

Areas for Future Research.......................................................... 39

Conclusions.............................................................................. 40

References..................................................................................... 41

Appendix A: Baseline Survey.............................................................. 43

Appendix B: STI Positive Follow-up Survey........................................... 46

About this Master's Thesis

Rights statement
  • Permission granted by the author to include this thesis or dissertation in this repository. All rights reserved by the author. Please contact the author for information regarding the reproduction and use of this thesis or dissertation.
School
Department
Degree
Submission
Language
  • English
Research Field
关键词
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor
Committee Members
Partnering Agencies
最新修改

Primary PDF

Supplemental Files