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Talking about STD/HIV prevention: a look at communication online
S N Keller1, H LaBelle, N Karimi
1Montana State University in Billings, Montana, USA. skeller@msubillings.edu
AIDS Care
|October 30, 2004
Summary
Online STD prevention websites offer limited communication skills for teens. Improving content on safe sex negotiation and interactive features is crucial for better health education and usability.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Health Communication
- Digital Health
Background:
- The quality and usability of online health information, particularly for sexually transmitted disease (STD) prevention, remain underexplored.
- Adolescents rely on online resources for health information, necessitating an evaluation of their effectiveness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the content quality and usability of STD prevention websites targeted at teenagers.
- To determine the extent to which these websites provide essential communication skills and decision-making support for safe sex practices.
Main Methods:
- A content analysis of 36 STD prevention websites was conducted.
- Evaluated sites based on adherence to sexual health guidelines, accessibility, usability, credibility, and currency.
- Assessed the presence of communication skills, such as safe sex negotiation and decision-making messages.
Main Results:
- Only 6% of websites addressed safe sex negotiation, and 19% covered basic communication skills.
- Slightly over half (53%) included at least one sexual decision-making message.
- While most sites had consistent design and working hyperlinks, few offered site maps (19%) or internal search engines (36%).
Conclusions:
- STD prevention websites for teenagers often lack crucial communication skills and interactive features.
- Health educators should prioritize content on safe sex negotiation and enhance website design for improved usability and engagement.