Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #113562

Heidi Jones, MPH¹, Paul Hewett, PhD¹, Carla Gianna Luppi, MD², Adriana Pinho, MPH², Sheri Lippman, MPH³, Janneke van de Wijgert, PhD, MPH⁴, and Barbara Mensch, PhD¹. (1) Population Council, One Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, New York, NY 10017, 212-3390652, hjones@popcouncil.org, (2) Centro de Estudos Augusto Leopoldo Ayrosa Galvão (CEALAG), Rua Cesário Motta Jr 61, 6 Andar, São Paulo, CEP 01221-02, Brazil, (3) Population Council, Brazil, Rua Dr. Ruy Vicente de Mello, 1047, Cidade Universitaria, Campinas, 13084-050, Brazil, (4) International Antiviral Therapy Evaluation Center (IATEC), Pietersbergweg 9, Amsterdam, 1105 BM, Netherlands

Evaluating and designing programs to improve sexual and reproductive health require accurate reports of individual sexual behaviors. Achieving accurate reporting of behaviors such as frequency of vaginal and anal sex, condom usage, experience with abortion, and violence within in a relationship is known to be difficult. Audio-computer assisted self-interviewing (ACASI), in which study participants respond directly to a computer, could provide an additional sense of confidentiality and privacy that results in more accurate reporting of these types of behaviors.

In 2004-2005, 818 women aged 18-40 were recruited from a low-income neighborhood in São Paulo, Brazil to participate in a study on how to improve testing and diagnosis for gonorrhea, chlamydia and trichomoniasis. Women in the study were randomized to respond to either an ACASI or face-to-face interview on demographic and sexual behaviors during their initial visit and were invited to undergo screening for sexually transmitted infections. Preliminary results show higher rates of reporting of most sensitive behaviors in the ACASI arm. For example, 34 percent in the ACASI arm reported practicing anal sex in the last 6 months versus 16 percent in the face-to-face arm (p <.001). This presentation will explore the differences in reporting between the two interview modes in this population. Additionally, over 90 percent of the women were tested for sexually transmitted infections, and the presentation will explore the association between reports of sensitive behaviors and prevalent infections by method of interview.

Learning Objectives: At the end of the session, participants will be able to discuss

• the advantages and disadvantages of using audio-computer assisted self-interviewing (ACASI) versus face-to-face interviewing;
• the extent to which ACASI resulted in higher reporting of sensitive or “taboo” behaviors; and
• the association between sexually transmitted infections and sexual behavior reporting in ACASI versus face-to-face interviewing.

Keywords: Methodology, Sexual Risk Behavior

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.