ADOLESCENT SEXUAL HEALTH Post-treatment sexual and prevention behaviours of adolescents with sexually transmitted infections

Objective: To evaluate sexual behaviour (including abstinence), sex partner change, and condom use during the 3 month period following treatment for Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis, Tri-chomonas vaginalis, or non-gonococcal urethritis. Methods: 251 14–21 year old participants (83 % female; 83 % African-American) diagnosed with gonorrhoea, chlamydia, trichomonas, or non-gonococcal urethritis or sexual contacts of infected part-ners. Participants were clients of a public sexually transmitted diseases clinic or primary care adoles-cent clinics. Data were collected by structured interview at treatment, 1 month post-treatment, and 3 months post-treatment. At each visit, participants were asked about coital frequency and condom use for each recent partner. At 1 month, participants were asked when coitus occurred following treatment. At each follow up visit, sex partners were compared to partners named at treatment and classified as “same partner(s), ” “new partner(s), ” or both “same and new partner(s).” Results: Post-treatment abstinence was reported by 26 % and 19 % for the 1 month and 3 month visits, respectively. Abstinence was associated with greater likelihood of infection at enrolment although abstainers reported fewer lifetime STI and fewer lifetime sex partners. A substantial proportion of par-ticipants reported additional sexual contact with a previous partner. The average proportion of condo