Background. Adolescents are at risk for unintended pregnancies and STDs. Determining if an adolescent is sexually active is important for reproductive health care. Yet, private providers are often reluctant to ask adolescents about sexual behavior.
Method. A baseline self-completion survey was conducted with 168 private providers from three communities with high rates of gonorrhea as part of an evaluation of an intervention to improve care. Providers were asked the likelihood of asking adolescents about sexual behavior at every visit. Analyses were run to identify demographic, practice, perceived norm, comfort, belief, and knowledge variables associated with intention.
Results. Only 26% of providers reported they were either likely or very likely to ask their adolescent patients about their sexual behavior at every visit. While few associations were found between intention and demographic and practice variables, significant ones were found with psychosocial variables. Intention was correlated with perceived norms of other providers (.66), self-efficacy (.46), overall comfort (.66), comfort when not relevant to visit (.46), comfort during annual exam (.28), comfort when concerned about confidentiality (.23), comfort when patient is embarrassed (.22), and several behavioral beliefs about asking (asking is necessary (.62), makes patients comfortable (.33), is difficult because I have to rapidly establish rapport (.26), and is a good way to make screening decision (.24)).
Conclusion. To encourage private providers to ask adolescents about sexual behavior at every visit, interventions need to influence perceived norms, increase comfort and self-efficacy, and change behavioral beliefs about the role and necessity of asking about sexual behavior.
Learning Objectives: After this session, participants will be able (1) to identify eight psychosocial factors associated with intention to ask adolescents and young adults about sexual behavior among private providers in three communities and (2) to apply these factors to developing interventions to encourage private physicians to ask about sexual behavior at every visit.
Keywords: Adolescent Health, Sexual Behavior
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
Disclosure not received
Relationship: Not Received.