A Sex Risk Reduction Text-Message Program for Young Adult Females Discharged From the Emergency Department

PurposeTo pilot test a text message (SMS) sex risk reduction program among at-risk young adult female patients discharged from an emergency department (ED).MethodsA convenience sample of 52 female patients with hazardous drinking behavior and recent risky sexual encounters were recruited from an urban ED and randomized to the SMS program (n = 23) or a control group (n = 29). All participants completed a web-based questionnaire in the ED and at 3-month follow-up. For 12 weeks, SMS participants were asked to report whether they had a risky sexual encounter in the past week, received theory-based feedback, and were asked if they were willing set a goal to refrain from having another risky encounter.ResultsThirty-nine percent of SMS participants completed all weeks of SMS reports, and noncompletion increasing from 12% on week 1 to a 33% by week 12. Three-month follow-up was completed in 56% of participants. In the intervention group, there was an increase in the proportion with condom use with last vaginal sex from 20% (95% CI 4%–48%) to 53% (95% CI 27%–79%) and an increase in always condom use over the past 28 days from 0% (95% CI 0%–22%) to 33% (95% CI 12%–62%). These changes were not statistically different from control participants.ConclusionsSMS programs may be useful to reduce risk for sexually transmitted diseases among at-risk young adults being discharged from the ED. Future trials should examine ways to improve adherence to SMS dialog over time and measure objective outcomes in a larger sample.