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Talk or text to tell? How young people in Canada and South Africa would prefer to self-disclose their STI status to their romantic partners, friends, and parents

Text messaging or texting has become a popular way among emerging adults to maintain their interpersonal relationships, and has recently become regarded by health professionals as a tool for communicating with young people about sexual health. To determine whether university students can be invited to receive information, and disclose their newly realized STI status to their romantic partners, their friends, and their parents, to help curb the spread of HIV, Herpes, or Hepatitis, 303 students (183 from McGill University, and 120 from The University of Kwa-Zulu Natal) (M=21 years) indicated on a survey (a) how they would prefer to self-disclose their STI status to receive care and support from others: Talking face-to-face; a mobile phone call; an SMS text message; or other modes of computer-mediated communication. Students also indicated (b) how they would prefer to receive their STI test results from a doctor or nurse, and (c) receive new information about an STI relevant to their own health. Contrary to expectations from previous literature, almost all students indicated that they would prefer to self-disclose their STI status, as well as to receive results and new information by talking face-to-face with their partners, parents, and doctors, rather than through a text message, a mobile phone call, or any mode of computer-mediated communication. Male students were two times more likely than female students to prefer to self-disclose their STI status to their romantic partner by talking with them rather than phoning or texting them. McGill students were two times more likely to talk face-to-face with their parents about their STI status than were students at UKZN. Finally, two times the number of students at UKZN, and four times more female than male students at UKZN indicated that they would prefer to receive their STI test results from a health care professional by talking with them at a health clinic rather than communicating via a mobile phone call or a text message. Reasons for students' preferences are explored through a qualitative analysis of their written responses. / Pour déterminer si les élèves peuvent être invités à recevoir de l'information et de divulguer leur résultats de maladies sexuellement transmissibles (MST) à leurs partenaires romantiques et leurs parents, pour aider à freiner la propagation du VIH, l'herpès, ou de l'hépatite, 303 élèves (183 de l'Université McGill et 120 à l'Université du Kwa-Zulu Natal, (M = 21 ans) ont été invités à indiquer comment ils préféreraient se dévoiler leur résultats MST: (1) par rendez-vous; (2) par appel cellulaire; (3) par message texte (SMS); ou (4) par d'autres modes de communication médiatisées par ordinateur. Les étudiants ont aussi indiqué qu'ils préféreraient (5) de recevoir les résultats du test MST en visitant un médecin ou une infirmière, et (6) de recevoir de nouvelles informations sur une MST qu'ils ont contractée. Contrairement aux attentes de la littérature précédente, presque tous les élèves ont indiqué qu'ils préféreraient se dévoiler leur résultats MST, ainsi que de recevoir les résultats des tests et de nouvelles informations en discutant face à face avec leurs partenaires et leurs parents, plutôt que par un message texte, un appel cellulaire, ou toutes autres modes de communication médiatisées par ordinateur. Tous les élèves de sexe masculin ont été deux fois plus susceptibles à préférer à se dévoiler leurs résultats MST à leurs partenaires romantiques en parlant seuls à seuls plutôt qu'en échangeant les appels téléphoniques ou les textos. Les raisons de ces préférences et ces différences de genre seront examinées à travers des réponses écrites données par des élèves.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.103776
Date January 2011
CreatorsLabacher, Lukas
ContributorsClaudia A Mitchell (Internal/Supervisor)
PublisherMcGill University
Source SetsLibrary and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageFrench
TypeElectronic Thesis or Dissertation
Formatapplication/pdf
CoverageMaster of Arts (Department of Integrated Studies in Education)
RightsAll items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated.
RelationElectronically-submitted theses.

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