SECONDARY PREVENTION OF STD TRANSMISSION DURING ADOLESCENCE - PARTNERNOTIFICATION

Study Objective: The study focuses on partner notification by examinin g adolescent girls' discussions of STD acquisition with partners. The relationship between aspects of sexual history and partner notificatio n were examined. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: An urban hosp ital-based primary care adolescent clinic. Participants: The sample co nsisted of 182 girls who had a history of STD. Main Outcome Measures: Adolescents were interviewed regarding the discussion of STD acquisiti on with partners. Results: Sixty-seven percent of girls reported telli ng a partner and 22% had been told by a partner. Eleven percent had to ld 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 tal ked 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, rep resenting 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 importan t when no longer involved with a partner.