Sexually Transmitted Infections Among African American Women Who Have Sex With Women (WSW)

May 10, 2016 updated by: Leandro A. Mena, University of Mississippi Medical Center

Prevalence Rates of Sexually Transmitted Infections and Sexual Risk Behaviors Among African American Women Who Have Sex With Women

The purpose of this study is to determine the rates of sexually transmitted infections (STI) among a group of African American women who have sex with women (AA WSW). The first study hypothesis is that AA WSW are at risk for acquiring and transmitting STI, including the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The second study hypothesis is that AA WSW participate in multiple high-risk sexual activities that may facilitate transmission of STIs, including HIV.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Detailed Description

Historically, women who have sex with women (WSW) have been thought to be at low risk for acquiring sexually transmitted infections (STI), presumably due to the absence of genital mucosal contact present during vaginal-penile sex or due to the assumption that the vaginal mucosa experiences a lesser degree of trauma during female sex than during heterosexual sex. This assumption has been challenged and debated over the past two decades. In addition, the sexual health risks of WSW are only beginning to be understood.

To date the majority of research regarding STI in women has occurred in heterosexuals. National and local surveillance data that estimate the risk for STI transmission between WSW are limited, especially among African Americans. This is a group of women that may exhibit distinctive behavioral characteristics that may put them at higher risk for sexually transmitted infections STI and HIV than their Caucasian counterparts. This group of women has traditionally been reluctant to discuss their sexual orientation with physicians for fear of being stigmatized. The burden of STIs, including HIV, experienced by this group of women is largely unknown.

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Actual)

300

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Mississippi
      • Jackson, Mississippi, United States, 39216
        • Crossroads Clinic

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

Female

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

The study population is African American women, aged 18 or above, who present to the Crossroads Clinic (STD Clinic) in the Jackson, MS metropolitan area for STI screening/evaluation who have engaged in sexual contact with another woman within the past 6 months.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Female
  • Age 18 years or older
  • African American race
  • Sexual contact with another female within the past 6 months
  • Ability to give written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Male
  • Age less than 18 years old
  • Race other than African American
  • No sexual contact with another woman within the past 6 months
  • Pregnant
  • Prior enrollment in this study
  • Participants who, for any reason, in the opinion of the investigator, do not have the ability to give written informed consent or may not be expected to comply with the requirements of the protocol

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Prevalence rates of sexually transmitted infections
Time Frame: 18 Months
18 Months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Associated sexual risk behaviors
Time Frame: 18 Months
18 Months

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

University of Mississippi Medical Center

Collaborators

University of Alabama at Birmingham
Mississippi State Department of Health

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Leandro A Mena, MD, MPH, University of Mississippi Medical Center

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

February 1, 2009

Primary Completion (Actual)

December 1, 2011

Study Completion (Actual)

June 1, 2012

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

January 4, 2010

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 4, 2010

First Posted (Estimate)

January 6, 2010

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

May 11, 2016

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 10, 2016

Last Verified

May 1, 2016

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 2008-0143

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

Data will only be shared with investigators

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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