Associations Between Marijuana Use and 15 Indicators of Sexual Risk and Sexual Health Service Use

2016 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. S109-S110
Author(s):  
Christopher Harper ◽  
Patricia Dittus ◽  
Kathleen Ethier

Sexual Health ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Sheringham ◽  
Sarah Sowden ◽  
Mai Stafford ◽  
Ian Simms ◽  
Rosalind Raine

Background: Monitoring socioeconomic inequalities in sexual health service use is needed to ensure equitable service provision. There are limitations to current methods, particularly when applied to young people. The present study examined the validity and added value of combining ACORN, a commercial tool, with an established deprivation index to improve monitoring of inequalities in the National Chlamydia Screening Programme (NCSP) in England. Methods: ACORN categories and the Index of Multiple Deprivation 2004 (IMD 2004) quintiles were linked to England population estimates and 145 975 records from the NCSP. Results: ACORN’s validity was demonstrated by moderate agreement between IMD 2004 and ACORN in segmenting the population and consistent gradients in the relative risk of chlamydia positivity between the most and least deprived areas assessed by IMD 2004 (relative risk (RR) 1.32; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.23, 1.40) and ACORN (RR 1.32; 95% CI 1.25, 1.40). ACORN’s fine level of geographic resolution demonstrated that the NCSP was reaching the most deprived neighbourhoods within larger areas classified overall as deprived by IMD 2004. Within the most deprived IMD 2004 quintile, areas classified as most deprived by ACORN had higher chlamydia screening coverage (3.15%; 95% CI 3.11, 3.19%) than the least deprived (1.81%; 95% CI 1.56, 2.08%). Furthermore, ACORN identified highest screening coverage (9.2%) in areas classified as ‘communal housing.’ Conclusions: These findings illustrate that a commercial geodemographic tool in combination with an established deprivation index may overcome limitations in monitoring inequalities in sexual health service use. ACORN had value as a supplementary deprivation marker for monitoring inequalities in chlamydia screening in England.



2016 ◽  
Vol 92 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. A73.1-A73
Author(s):  
Katy Turner ◽  
Katharine Looker ◽  
Jonathan Syred ◽  
Sharmani Bernard ◽  
Paula Baraitser


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Cassidy ◽  
Audrey Steenbeek ◽  
Donald Langille ◽  
Ruth Martin-Misener ◽  
Janet Curran

BACKGROUND University students are at risk for acquiring sexually transmitted infections and suffering other negative health outcomes. Sexual health services offer preventive and treatment interventions that aim to reduce these infections and associated health consequences. However, university students often delay or avoid seeking sexual health services. An in-depth understanding of the factors that influence student use of sexual health services is needed to underpin effective sexual health interventions. OBJECTIVE In this study, we aim to design a behavior change intervention to address university undergraduate students’ use of sexual health services at two universities in Nova Scotia, Canada. METHODS This mixed methods study consists of three phases that follow a systematic approach to intervention design outlined in the Behaviour Change Wheel. In Phase 1, we examine patterns of sexual health service use among university students in Nova Scotia, Canada, using an existing dataset. In Phase 2, we identify the perceived barriers and enablers to students’ use of sexual health services. This will include focus groups with university undergraduate students, health care providers, and university administrators using a semistructured guide, informed by the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation-Behaviour Model and Theoretical Domains Framework. In Phase 3, we identify behavior change techniques and intervention components to develop a theory-based intervention to improve students’ use of sexual health services. RESULTS This study will be completed in March 2018. Results from each phase and the finalized intervention design will be reported in 2018. CONCLUSIONS Previous intervention research to improve university students’ use of sexual health services lacks a theoretical assessment of barriers. This study will employ a mixed methods research design to examine university students’ use of sexual health service and apply behavior change theory to design a theory- and evidence-based sexual health service intervention. Our approach will provide a comprehensive foundation to co-design a theory-based intervention with service users, health care providers, and administrators to improve sexual health service use among university students and ultimately improve their overall health and well-being.



Author(s):  
Christine Cassidy ◽  
Audrey Steenbeek ◽  
Donald Langille ◽  
Ruth Martin-Misener ◽  
Janet Curran




2020 ◽  
Vol 96 (8) ◽  
pp. 590-595
Author(s):  
Paula Bianca Blomquist ◽  
Hamish Mohammed ◽  
Amy Mikhail ◽  
Peter Weatherburn ◽  
David Reid ◽  
...  

BackgroundChemsex, the use of select psychoactive drugs to enhance sexual experience, typically among men who have sex with men (MSM), is associated with sexual behaviours with higher STI risk. Understanding patterns of chemsex among MSM as well as the characteristics and sexual health service engagement of chemsex participants is important for developing interventions.MethodsBetween 5/2016 to 5/2017, 3933 MSM completed an online survey, recruited in sexual health clinics (SHCs) in England (n=421) and via four social networking/dating apps (n=3512). We described patterns of chemsex in the past year and used multivariable logistic regression to investigate differences in demographics and sexual behaviours by chemsex history. We described history of SHC attendance and STI test in the past year among app-recruited chemsex participants.ResultsChemsex in the past year was reported by 10% of respondents; 19% of SHC-recruited and 9% of app-recruited. Among chemsex participants, 74% had used ≥2 chemsex drugs. In the multivariable model, MSM engaging in chemsex had a raised odds of being HIV-positive (adjusted OR (aOR): 3.6; 95% CI 2.1 to 6.1), aged 30–44 (aOR 1.5 vs <30 years; 95% CI 1.0 to 2.1), being born outside the UK and having engaged in higher risk sexual behaviours in the past 3 months. Chemsex participants also had higher odds of condomless anal sex with partners of different or unknown HIV status, but only among HIV-negative/untested. In the past year, 66% of app-recruited chemsex participants had attended a SHC and 81% had had an STI test.ConclusionOne in 10 MSM recruited through community and clinical settings across England had engaged in chemsex in the past year. Those that did appear to be at greater STI risk but engaged more actively with sexual health services. This highlights the need and opportunity for chemsex-related services in SHCs and robust referral pathways to drug treatment services.



2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Cassidy ◽  
Audrey Steenbeek ◽  
Donald Langille ◽  
Ruth Martin-Misener ◽  
Janet Curran

Abstract Introduction University undergraduate students are within the population at highest risk for acquiring sexually transmitted infections, unplanned pregnancy, and other negative health outcomes. Despite the availability of sexual health services at university health centres, many students delay or avoid seeking care. In this study, we describe how the Behaviour Change Wheel was used as a systematic approach to design an intervention to improve sexual health service use among university undergraduate students. Methods This paper describes the intervention development phase of a three-phased, sequential explanatory mixed methods study. Phases one and two included a quantitative and qualitative study that aimed to better understand students’ use of sexual health services. In phase three, we followed the Behaviour Change Wheel to integrate the quantitative and qualitative findings and conduct stakeholder consultation meetings to select intervention strategies, including intervention functions and behaviour change techniques. Results Key linkages between opportunity and motivation were found to influence students’ access of sexual health services. Stakeholders identified six intervention functions (education, environmental restructuring, enablement, modelling, persuasion, and incentivization) and 15 behaviour change techniques (information about health consequences, information about social and environmental consequences, feedback on behaviour, feedback on outcomes of behaviour, prompts/cues, self-monitoring of behaviour, adding objects to the environment, goal setting, problem solving, action planning, restructuring the social environment, restructuring the physical environment, demonstration of the behaviour, social support, credible source) as relevant to include in a toolbox of intervention strategies to improve sexual health service use. Conclusions This study details the use of the Behaviour Change Wheel to develop an intervention aimed at improving university students’ use of sexual health services. The Behaviour Change Wheel provided a comprehensive framework for integrating multiple sources of data to inform the selection of intervention strategies. Stakeholders can use these strategies to design and implement sexual health service interventions that are feasible within the context of their health centre. Future research is needed to test the effectiveness of the strategies at changing university students’ sexual health behaviour.



2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 98-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina B. Gee ◽  
Gagan S. Khera ◽  
Alyssa T. Poblete ◽  
Barunie Kim ◽  
Syeda Y. Buchwach


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document