Educational attainment has protective value against incident STIs among young adult African-American women

Background: The educational achievement gap disproportionately affects African-Americans. Low educational attainment has been identified as a risk factor for health issues such as smoking, being overweight, and decreased physical activity. This study assessed the association between educational attainment and STI/HIV risk factors among African-American women.

Methods: Baseline data were assessed from a STI/HIV prevention intervention for African-American women (N=848) aged 18 – 29 recruited from three Kaiser Permanente Centers in Atlanta, GA. Data collection included 1) a survey of demographic, psychosocial, and behavioral measures and 2) self-collected, laboratory-confirmed vaginal swabs for trichomoniasis, chlamydia, gonorrhea, and human papillomavirus (HPV). Multiple regression analyses were used to examine the association of educational attainment with incident STIs, self-reported sexual risk behaviors, and psychosocial mediators of sexual behaviors.

Results: Among participants, 11.2% (n=94) did not complete high school, 25.6% (n=217) graduated high school, 42.0% (n=357) completed some college, 17.3% (n=147) graduated college, and 3.9% (n=33) completed some graduate school. Controlling for age and public assistance, preliminary analyses revealed that educational attainment is significantly protective of incident STIs. (OR=.811, CI = .714-.922, p=.001). Educational attainment was also associated with increased STI knowledge, greater perceived relationship options, increased self-efficacy in asking partners to get an STI test, and fewer partners in the past 12 months.

Conclusions: These findings suggest that educational attainment can be a significant protective factor for incident STIs and risky sexual behavior among young adult African-American women. These findings support reducing disparities in educational achievement as a means of reducing disparities in STI/HIV risk.