Hogben Matthew, Caccamo Alexandra, Beltran Oscar, Cramer Ryan, Habel Melissa A
From the *Division of STD Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA; and †Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Oak Ridge, TN.
Sex Transm Dis. 2017 Nov;44(11):648-652. doi: 10.1097/OLQ.0000000000000671.
Young adults, including college students, have higher rates of chlamydia than the general population. Patient-delivered partner therapy (PDPT) is a partner treatment option for sex partners of individuals diagnosed with chlamydia or gonorrhea. We examined college health center use of PDPT in a national sample of colleges.
During 2014 to 2015, we collected data from 482 colleges and universities (55% of 885 surveyed), weighting responses by institutional characteristics abstracted from a national database (eg, 2-year vs 4-year status). We asked whether the school had a student health center and which sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services were offered. We also assessed the legal and perceived legal status of PDPT in states where schools were located. We then estimated PDPT availability at student health centers and measured associations with legal status and SRH services.
Most colleges (n = 367) reported having a student health center; PDPT was available at 36.6% of health centers and associated with perceived legality of PDPT in the state in which the college was located (odds ratio [OR], 4.63; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.17-18.28). Patient-delivered partner therapy was significantly associated with availability of SRH services, including sexually transmitted disease diagnosis and treatment of STI (56.2% vs 1.1%), gynecological services (60.3% vs 12.2%), and contraceptive services (57.8% vs 7.7%) (all P < .001). Compared with schools taking no action, PDPT was more likely to be available at schools that notified partners directly (OR, 8.29; 95% CI, 1.28-53.85), but not schools that asked patients to notify partners (OR, 3.47; 95% CI, 0.97-12.43).
PDPT was more likely to be available in colleges that offered SRH services and where staff believed PDPT was legal. Further research could explore more precise conditions under which PDPT is used.
包括大学生在内的年轻人感染衣原体的比率高于普通人群。患者介导的性伴治疗(PDPT)是针对被诊断为衣原体或淋病的个体的性伴的一种治疗选择。我们在全国范围内的大学样本中调查了大学健康中心对PDPT的使用情况。
在2014年至2015年期间,我们从482所学院和大学收集了数据(占被调查的885所学校的55%),根据从国家数据库中提取的机构特征(如两年制与四年制状态)对回复进行加权。我们询问学校是否设有学生健康中心以及提供哪些性与生殖健康(SRH)服务。我们还评估了学校所在州PDPT的法律地位及人们对其法律地位的认知。然后我们估计了学生健康中心提供PDPT的情况,并衡量其与法律地位及SRH服务之间的关联。
大多数学院(n = 367)报告设有学生健康中心;36.6%的健康中心提供PDPT,且这与学院所在州人们对PDPT合法性的认知相关(比值比[OR],4.63;95%置信区间[CI],1.17 - 18.28)。患者介导的性伴治疗与SRH服务的提供显著相关,包括性传播疾病诊断与治疗(56.2%对1.1%)、妇科服务(60.3%对12.2%)以及避孕服务(57.8%对7.7%)(所有P < .001)。与未采取任何行动的学校相比,在直接通知性伴的学校中更有可能提供PDPT(OR,8.29;95% CI,1.28 - 53.85),但在要求患者通知性伴的学校中并非如此(OR,3.47;95% CI,0.97 - 12.43)。
在提供SRH服务且工作人员认为PDPT合法的大学中更有可能提供PDPT。进一步的研究可以探索使用PDPT的更精确条件。