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Avoiding risky sex partners: perception of partners' risks v partners' self reported risks
B P Stoner1, W L H Whittington, S O Aral
1Department of Anthropology, Washington University, St Louis, MO 63130, USA. bstoner@artsci.wustl.edu
Sexually Transmitted Infections
|June 10, 2003
Summary
People often misjudge their sexual partners' risk behaviors, impacting STD/HIV prevention. Enhancing sexual health communication within partnerships is crucial for harm reduction.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
- Sexual Health
Background:
- Effective STD/HIV prevention relies on accurate assessment of partner risk behaviors.
- Limited research exists on individuals' ability to discern their partners' risk behaviors accurately.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the agreement between patients' perceptions of their sexual partners' risk behaviors and partners' self-reported behaviors.
- To identify specific risk factors where perceptions diverge most significantly.
Main Methods:
- Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 151 patients diagnosed with gonorrhea or chlamydial infection and 189 of their sexual partners.
- Patient perceptions of partner characteristics and behaviors were compared to partner self-reports using statistical measures like the kappa statistic and concordance correlation.
Main Results:
- Agreement was highest for perceived partner age, race/ethnicity, and partnership duration.
- Significant discrepancies were found in perceptions of partners' involvement in commercial sex, number of other sexual partners, and communication quality.
- Patients frequently underestimated or overestimated their partners' risk characteristics, with inconsistent condom use reported.
Conclusions:
- Patients' perceptions of sexual partners' risk behaviors often misalign with self-reported data among individuals with gonorrhea or chlamydial infections.
- Interventions aimed at improving sexual health communication within partnerships and social networks are recommended for harm reduction.
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