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Young people are the greatest users of new technology, including the Internet and mobile phones, and they are also at greatest risk of STIs. The current study evaluated the impact of text messaging as a vehicle to deliver sexual health promotion to youths.Participants - individuals ages 16 to 29, who were recruited at a music festival in Melbourne in January 2008 - were asked to complete a short survey and provide their cell phone numbers. Every two weeks for four months, participants received short messaging service (SMS) texts relating to sexual health. They then completed an online follow-up survey. The data collected were weighted to account for those lost to follow-up. Changes in survey responses were compared using McNemar’s test.
In all, 1,771 sexually active individuals with valid mobile phone numbers at baseline were included in the analysis. During the broadcast period, 18 percent (319) withdrew from receiving the texts. Forty percent (587) completed the follow-up survey. Of these, 80 percent found the texts entertaining; 68 percent rated them as informative; and 73 percent showed the texts to others.
“Weighted analyses found a significant increase in knowledge (P<0.01) and STI testing (P<0.05) over time in both males and females,” the authors wrote. The findings indicate that the text messaging approach appears “to be a feasible, popular and effective method of sexual health promotion to young people with a relatively low withdrawal rate, positive feedback, and an observed improvement in sexual health knowledge and STI testing.”
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
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