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Differences in misreporting of sexual behavior over time: implications for HIV trials
Maria F Gallo1, Lee Warner, Marcia M Hobbs
1From the *Division of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH; †Division of Reproductive Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA; ‡Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC; §Comprehensive Health Centre (CHC)/Epidemiology Research and Training Unit (ERTU), Jamaica Ministry of Health, Kingston, Jamaica; and ∥Clinical Sciences Division, FHI 360, Durham, NC.
This study found that women underreported recent semen exposure more often over time. This suggests sexual behavior reporting accuracy can change during follow-up assessments.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Health
- Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)
- Biomarker Analysis
Background:
- Accurate reporting of sexual behavior is crucial for understanding STI transmission dynamics.
- Self-reported data on sexual exposure can be subject to recall bias and social desirability bias.
- Objective measures are needed to validate self-reported sexual behaviors in research settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare self-reported recent semen exposure with objective measurement using prostate-specific antigen (PSA).
- To assess the accuracy of self-reported sexual behavior over time in women attending an STI clinic.
- To identify potential discrepancies between perceived and actual sexual exposure.
Main Methods:
- Prospective study involving 300 women at a sexually transmitted infection clinic in Kingston, Jamaica.
- Participant self-report of recent semen exposure was collected at baseline and follow-up.
- Vaginal swabs were analyzed for the presence of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) as an objective measure of semen exposure.
Main Results:
- Underreporting of semen exposure was significantly more frequent at follow-up compared to baseline.
- Objective PSA measurement revealed discrepancies with participant self-reports.
- The accuracy of reporting sexual behavior varied between baseline and follow-up assessments.
Conclusions:
- Self-reported sexual behavior, specifically semen exposure, may become less accurate over time in clinical follow-up.
- Objective biomarkers like PSA are valuable for validating self-reported sexual behavior in research.
- Further research is needed to understand factors influencing reporting accuracy in longitudinal studies of sexual health.
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