Secondary prevention of STD transmission during adolescence: Partner notification

Study Objective: The study focuses on partner notification by examining adolescent girls' discussions of STD acquisition with partners. The relationship between aspects of sexual history and partner notification were examined.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: An urban hospital-based primary care adolescent clinic.

Participants: The sample consisted of 182 girls who had a history of STD.

Main Outcome Measures: Adolescents were interviewed regarding the discussion of STD acquisition with partners.

Results: Sixty-seven percent of girls reported telling a partner and 22% had been told by a partner. Eleven percent had told a partner as well as had been told by a partner, and 22% had never talked about STD acquisition with her partner. Adolescents who had talked about STD acquisition in the past were more likely to respond to a hypothetical situation by saying they would “always” tell a partner. The most common reasons for adolescents reporting that they did not tell a partner were: they were no longer involved with the individual, they expected a negative response, or they blamed the partner for the acquisition. When asked about the nature of the experience of telling a partner, most reported that it was a negative emotional experience.

Conclusions: Although most adolescents had some experience discussing STD with a partner, there was a substantial minority who had not, representing a potential public health problem. Adolescents may not have discussed STD acquisition with their partners because they anticipated a negative experience or because they did not believe it was important when no longer involved with a partner.