Sexually Transmitted Disease Program, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Los Angeles, CA 90007, USA.
Sex Transm Dis. 2012 May;39(5):341-5. doi: 10.1097/OLQ.0b013e31824e5150.
This article presents an evaluation of inSPOTLA.org, a sexually transmitted disease partner notification Web site in Los Angeles County primarily targeting men who have sex with men (MSM). Since its launch in 2005, this Web site has received more than 400,000 visitors and resulted in nearly 50,000 e-mail postcards sent. However, there have been limited quantitative data concerning use of the service for actual partner notification. This study investigated awareness and use of inSPOTLA among MSM, as well as the effect of an advertising campaign.
Data from 2 cross-sectional surveys using time-location samples were used for the evaluation, with a baseline survey conducted in 2007 and a follow-up conducted in 2009. The advertising campaign was implemented between the surveys in 2008.
Awareness of inSPOTLA was 15.8% in the baseline survey and 14.4% in the follow-up survey, with no statistically significant difference. Reported use of inSPOTLA for partner notification was less than 2% in both surveys, again with no significant difference. In addition to the surveys, a high-volume sexual health clinic that serves the MSM population in Los Angeles collected data on reason for visit, including referrals from inSPOTLA, from all patients from 2007 through 2009. In 3 years, 2 individuals stated having received an inSPOTLA e-card as the reason for their visit.
While website user statistics seemed to indicate an impressive level of use, our evaluation of inSPOTLA found very limited evidence of program effectiveness for the purpose of actual partner notification among MSM in Los Angeles County.
本文评估了 inSPOTLA.org，这是一个位于洛杉矶县的性传播疾病伙伴通知网站，主要针对男男性行为者（MSM）。自 2005 年推出以来，该网站已吸引了超过 40 万名访客，并促成了近 5 万封电子邮件明信片的发送。然而，关于该服务实际用于伙伴通知的定量数据有限。本研究调查了 MSM 对 inSPOTLA 的知晓度和使用情况，以及广告宣传活动的效果。
本评估使用了两次使用时间地点抽样的横断面调查的数据，基线调查于 2007 年进行，随访调查于 2009 年进行。广告宣传活动于 2008 年在两次调查之间实施。
基线调查中，inSPOTLA 的知晓度为 15.8%，随访调查中为 14.4%，差异无统计学意义。两次调查中报告的使用 inSPOTLA 进行伙伴通知的比例均低于 2%，差异亦无统计学意义。除了调查，一家为洛杉矶 MSM 人群服务的高流量性健康诊所还从 2007 年至 2009 年期间收集了所有患者的就诊原因数据，包括来自 inSPOTLA 的转诊。在 3 年内，有 2 人表示收到了 inSPOTLA 的电子卡片，这是他们就诊的原因。
虽然网站用户统计数据似乎表明使用水平令人印象深刻，但我们对 inSPOTLA 的评估发现，对于洛杉矶县 MSM 实际伙伴通知的目的，该项目的效果证据非常有限。
