Safetxt: A randomised controlled trial of an intervention delivered by mobile phone messaging to reduce sexually transmitted infections (STI) by increasing sexual health precaution behaviours in young people.

Conference: 
SAPC ASM 2021 - virtual
Talk Code: 
2A.6
Presenter: 
Cari Free
Co-authors: 
Melissa J Palmer, Kimberley Potter, Ona L McCarthy, Lauren Jerome, Sima Berendes, Anasztazia Gubijev, Megan Knight, Zahra Jamal, Farandeep Dhaliwal, James R Carpenter, Tim P Morris, Phil Edwards, Rebecca French, Paula Baraitser, Ford Hickson, Kaye Wellings.
Author institutions: 
LSHTM, UCL KCL

Problem

Younger people aged 16 to 24 bear the heaviest burden of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as chlamydia and gonorrhoea, and their long-term adverse health effects including ectopic pregnancy and subfertility. Our systematic review shows the effect of safer sex support delivered by text message on partner notification, long term condom use and STI is not reliably known. With users, we developed the theory based safetxt intervention delivered by text message to reduce sexually transmitted infection (STI).

Approach

Objectives: To establish the effect of the safetxt intervention on the cumulative incidence of chlamydia and gonorrhoea infection at 1 year.

Design: A parallel-group randomised trial with care providers and outcome assessors blind to allocation.

Setting: Recruitment from 92 UK sexual health clinics, the intervention is delivered by mobile phone.

Participants:

Inclusion criteria: received a positive chlamydia or gonorrhoea test result, were diagnosed with non-specific urethritis (NSU) or had started treatment for chlamydia, gonorrhoea or NSU in the last two weeks; own a personal mobile phone; aged 16 to 24

Allocation: Remote computer-based randomisation with an automated link to the messaging system to deliver intervention or control group messages.

Intervention: The safetxt intervention delivered by text message was designed to reduce STI by increasing partner notification, condom use and STI testing before sex with new partners.

Comparator: a monthly message regarding trial participation.

Main outcomes: Primary outcome: cumulative incidence of chlamydia and gonorrhoea infection at 1 year assessed by nucleic acid amplification tests. Secondary outcomes include: partner notification, condom use and STI testing prior to sex with new partner(s).

 

Findings

The reuslts will be reported at the conference.

Consequences

 

Submitted by: 
Cari Free
Funding acknowledgement: 
NIHR PHR