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Background: Young people aged 13-24 accounted for 26% of all new HIV infections in 2010, and those aged 15-24 acquire half of new STDs annually. Identifying interventions that have a dual focus on HIV and STDs may be an important way to prevent these diseases among youth. The CDC’s Prevention Research Synthesis (PRS) project identifies evidence-based behavioral interventions (EBIs) for HIV prevention. This presentation describes EBIs that focus on preventing STDs among youth and young adults.
Methods: We reviewed risk-reduction EBIs in the PRS Compendium. Interventions are evaluated against a priori criteria to determine if there is sufficient evidence that the intervention reduced HIV-related risk behaviors. We identified EBIs published in the last decade that targeted youth and young adults; focused on both HIV and STD prevention; specified reducing STD incidence or STD-related risk behaviors as a goal; or specified a significant positive effect on an STD outcome.
Results: Of 93 risk-reduction EBIs, five met our criteria. Four EBIs had an explicit STD focus when describing intervention activities. All five EBIs stated reducing STD incidence or STD risk behavior as a goal in this population and found significant effects on reducing risky sexual behaviors (e.g., increasing condom use). Three EBIs reported significant positive intervention effects on STD incidence. All EBIs targeted HIV-negative young people; there were no interventions targeting transgender youth or young men who have sex with men.
Conclusions: Interventions that focus on reducing sexual risk behavior can effectively address HIV and STDs simultaneously. The Compendium is a resource for identifying interventions that have been proven to reduce both HIV and STDs among youth and young adults. Additional research is needed on interventions that target HIV and STD outcomes particularly for those at risk of HIV, such as young men who have sex with men and transgender youth.