Does your College Campus GYT? Evaluating the Effect of a Social Marketing Campaign Designed to Raise STI Awareness and Encourage Testing

Details

• Alternative Title:
  Cases Public Health Commun Mark
• Personal Author:
  Habel, Melissa A. ; Haderxhanaj, Laura ; Hogben, Matthew ; Eastman-Mueller, Heather ; Chesson, Harrell ; Roberts, Craig M.
• Description:
  Background:
  
  Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) impose a considerable health and economic burden among college-aged students. College students report engaging in a number of high-risk behaviors, including having multiple sex partners, unprotected sex, and using drugs and binge drinking during sex. This pilot evaluation investigated the associations between STI testing and the GYT: Get Yourself Tested campaign exposure, a social marketing campaign developed to promote sexual health discussions, raise awareness around STIs/HIV, and encourage testing among youth.
  
  Methods:
  
  During April 2011, 12 geographically dispersed colleges implemented the GYT campaign. Each implemented a brief survey and recorded STI testing data. A total of 1,386 students were surveyed. We tested for associations with GYT campaign awareness and STI testing behaviors. Chi-square and binary regression analyses tested for associations with GYT campaign awareness, STI testing behaviors, and STI test results. Hierarchical linear models accounted for students nested within schools.
  
  Results:
  
  Students presenting for STI testing were more likely to have heard of GYT than students not doing so; campuses hosting promotional events had higher proportions of students aware of GYT. These colleges, however, did not have higher proportions of students getting tested. Chlamydia positivity averaged 3.1%, and an estimated $26,000 in direct medical costs and $24,000 in lost productivity costs were averted by STI testing and treatment.
  
  Conclusions:
  
  Pre-packaged STI testing campaigns may serve as successful tools for colleges interested in promoting and increasing STI/HIV awareness, testing, and treatment. At the individual level, GYT awareness was related to testing, but the effects for school efforts need further exploration.
  
  
• Subjects:
  Article Chlamydia Gonorrhea Health Campaigns HIV Sexually Transmitted Infections Social Marketing University Health Services
• Source:
  Cases Public Health Commun Mark. 8:51-70
• Pubmed ID:
  31749899
• Pubmed Central ID:
  PMC6866652
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Funding:
  CC999999/ImCDC/Intramural CDC HHS/United States
• Volume:
  8
• Collection(s):
  CDC Public Access
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:31d50c8960b45991dcb69108e4aeab58712c7256c5c19786e53a5970bb1621112403f5017192afdd9f310fef65f95eee88aad5306f0510865ae034b4fd3855ce
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/83118/cdc_83118_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 746.75 KB ]