Thesis (M.S.P.H.)--University of Michigan, 1943.

Thesis equivalent (M.P.H.)--University of Michigan.

Thesis (M.S.P.H.)--University of Michigan, 1941.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

ABSTRACT Introduction: Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are serious problems for adolescents and young people. To protect adolescents from these diseases, there is a need to educate them on STD prevention by providing them with relevant information and equipping them with the life skills that will enable them to put knowledge into practice. It is recommended that STD-prevention programmes should take into account sex differences. However, limited data are available on how adolescent boys and girls differ in knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding STD prevention in the same study setting. Aim: To examine sex differences in knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding STD prevention among junior secondary school pupils in the Kassena-Nankana district, Ghana. Design: This research report is based on secondary data analysis of a cross-sectional knowledge,attitude, and practice survey of sexual and reproductive health conducted among junior secondary school pupils in the Kassena-Nankana district in 2005. The original survey had been carried out before the subject ‘Adolescent sexual and reproductive health’ was initiated in junior secondary schools in this district as an intervention study. Responses from 6,225 school pupils aged 10-19 years (3,011 schoolboys and 3,214 schoolgirls) were analysed using StataTM version 9.0 software. Results: The study found that school pupils had unsatisfactory knowledge about STDs; boys tended to be more knowledgeable than girls (p < 0.05). In terms of attitude towards condom use, a significantly higher percentage of boys (70%) compared with girls (61%) felt confident about insisting on condom use whenever they had sex. However, boys were more likely to be involved in sexual risk behaviours than girls. Eighteen percent of boys and 8% of girls reported being sexually experienced (p < 0.05). Boys started having sex earlier than girls (at 14.5 compared with 15.1 years, p < 0.05). Sixty-two percent of boys had sex with multiple partners compared with 32% of girls (p < 0.05). The mean number of lifetime sexual partners of boys and girls was 4.2 and 2.5, respectively (p < 0.05). The percentage of people reporting non-use of condoms during last sexual encounter was significantly higher among boys (37%) than girls (29%). Differences were observed in association of knowledge and attitudes regarding STD prevention with sexual activities among both boys and girls.

Sexually transmitted infections (STI’s) are a major public health problem. If STI’s are not treated they can cause infertility, long term disability and death. Partner notification and partner treatment have been identified as important aspects of management to curb the chain of transmission, reinfection and complications of STI’s. The high prevalence of STI’s and low partner treatment rate is cause for concern. The ability to communicate with sexual partners about going to the clinic for treatment is the cornerstone in breaking the chain of reinfection and preventing complications. The aim of the study was: • To determine the percentage of patients presenting as a result of partner notification. • To describe the demography of patients attending the STI clinic. • To determine the preferred methods of partner notification from the perspective of being a patient and from the perspective of being a sexual contact/partner. The study is a replication of the study entitled ‘Patient Preferences for Partner Notification of Sexually Transmitted Infections by (Apoola, Radcliffe, Das, et al.,2006:327). ’ The study is a quantitative, descriptive, survey design, and a replicated self-administered questionnaire of the study was used. The sample of 162 patients was taken from a population of about 800 STI clinic attendees over a period of one month at a local public sector clinic in Johannesburg. Data was captured using an excel spread sheet and then were exported to the Stata Release 11 program for analysis. Data was summarized using frequencies, means, and percentages. Reliability, validity and ethical issues were taken into consideration. From the results of the study it became apparent that the majority of STI patients 156(96%) attending the STI clinic under study preferred to inform their partners themselves that the partner may be at risk of an STI and should receive treatment. Furthermore, the participants in this particular study would also prefer to be informed by their partner if they were potentially at risk of contracting a sexually transmitted infection. With respect to the demographics of the clinic attendees, the majority of the patients attended the clinic because they presented with signs and symptoms of what they believed to be a sexually transmitted infection (92%), and only 8% of the participants attended the clinic because they were informed by a partner that they have been potentially exposed to an STI. It was identified that 92% of participants did have cellular telephones, and this is potentially a good means of partner notification given that the majority of the research sample had access to cellular telephones. In conclusion the participants in this particular study would prefer to notify their partner themselves of the potential exposure to a STI as opposed to other means of partner notification.