The findings and conclusions in these presentations have not been formally disseminated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and should not be construed to represent any agency determination or policy.

Wednesday, May 10, 2006 - 11:00 AM
231

Effect of a Cervical High-Risk Human Papillomavirus (HR-HPV) Diagnosis on Women's Sexuality in Los Angeles

Bita Amani, Sexually Transmitted Disease Program, Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, CA, USA, Pamina Gorbach, Department of Epidemiology and Division of Infectious Disease, UCLA School of Public Health and David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA, Angela Shin, Department of Epidemiology, UCLA School of Public Health, Los Angeles, CA, USA, Ross Cranston, David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA, Janet St. Lawrence, Division of STD, CDC, Atlanta, GA, USA, and Peter Kerndt, Sexually Transmitted Disease Program, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, 2615 S. Grand Avenue, Room 500, Los Angeles, CA, USA.


Background:
Affects of receiving positive HR-HPV diagnosis on women's attitude towards sex, their partners, and partnerships need elucidation.

Objective:
Assess women's feelings about sex, future sexual partnerships and intention to discuss HR-HPV with sexual partners upon receiving positive diagnosis.

Method:
30 women recruited from three Los Angeles clinics underwent structured in-depth interviews in English, Spanish, and Korean. Interviews were tape recorded, transcribed verbatim, and coded. Responses about feelings about sex following a diagnosis of HR-HPV, how having HR-HPV will affect future relationships, and plans to discuss HR-HPV with sexual partners were analyzed. Themes were analyzed using Ethnograph software and developed from verbatim quotations.

Result:
Themes for women's feeling around sex following an HR-HPV diagnosis were: not wanting sex, concerns about infecting partners, fear of acquiring another STD, need to be more careful, HIV confusion, thinking twice before sex again, not wanting to complicate sex life, and no effect. Overall 37% reported not feeling like having sex after diagnosis; 10% reported no effect on sex life because they use condoms; and 50% mentioned concern for infecting future partners. Not wanting sex following HR-HPV diagnosis was seen across age groups, partnership types, and race/ethnicity. Themes for intentions to tell future partners were: no intention to tell (reported by 33%), will use condoms to avoid needing to tell, worried about rejection, embarrassed, telling might increase communication and commitment, depends on partnership type, and no effect. Fear of infecting partners was reported by women in all age groups and race/ethnicities but more by monogamous partners compared to non-monogamous relationships.

Conclusion:
Women in Los Angeles reported feeling differently about sex and future sexual partnerships following a HR-HPV diagnosis regardless of race/ethnicity, partnership status or age.


Implications:
Messages around HR-HPV need to address affects on women's sexuality and future partnerships. Repercussions of HR-HPV testing need consideration given affects on sexuality and partnerships.

See more of Current Issues in Genital Herpes and Human Papillomavirus Prevention
See more of Oral and Poster

See more of The 2006 National STD Prevention Conference