Safetxt: a safer sex intervention delivered by mobile phone messaging on sexually transmitted infections (STI) among young people in the UK - protocol for a randomised controlled trial
Karen Devries,
Ford Colin Ian Hickson,
Ian Roberts,
Melissa J Palmer,
George B Ploubidis,
Kaye Wellings,
Paula Baraitser,
Susan Michie,
Caroline Free,
Julia V Bailey,
Ona L McCarthy,
Rosemary Knight,
Phil Edwards,
Rebecca French,
Graham Hart,
Tim Clayton,
James R Carpenter,
Katy M E Turner,
Kimberley Potter
Affiliations
Karen Devries
Department of Global Health and Development, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
Ford Colin Ian Hickson
2 Department of Public Health, Environments and Society, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London, UK
Ian Roberts
professor
Melissa J Palmer
2 Department of Public Health, Environments and Society, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London, UK
George B Ploubidis
2 Department of Social Science, UCL Institute of Education, University College London, London, UK
Kaye Wellings
1 Department of Public Health, Environments and Society, Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
Paula Baraitser
Centre for Global Health, King`s College London, London, London, UK
Susan Michie
Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, Sheffield, UK
Caroline Free
1 Department of Medical Statistics, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London, UK
Julia V Bailey
Department of Primary Care and Population Health, Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care, University College London, London, UK
Ona L McCarthy
4 Department of Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London, UK
Rosemary Knight
Clinical Trials Unit, MSD, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, London, UK
Phil Edwards
Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, London, UK
Rebecca French
Department of Public Health, Environments & Society, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
Graham Hart
School of Life and Medical Sciences, University College London, London, UK
Tim Clayton
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Medical Statistics, 1 Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, UK
James R Carpenter
Department of Medical Statistics, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, London, UK
Katy M E Turner
2 NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Behavioural Science and Evaluation, School of Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
Kimberley Potter
Department of Medical Statistics, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, London, UK
Introduction Young people aged 16 to 24 have the highest prevalence of genital chlamydia and gonorrhoea compared with other age groups and re-infection rates following treatment are high. Long-term adverse health effects include subfertility and ectopic pregnancy, particularly among those with repeated infections. We developed the safetxt intervention delivered by text message to reduce sexually transmitted infection (STI) by increasing partner notification, condom use and (STI) testing among young people in the UK.Methods and analysis A single-blind randomised trial to reliably establish the effect of the safetxt intervention on chlamydia and gonorrhoea infection at 1 year. We will recruit 6250 people aged 16 to 24 years who have recently been diagnosed with chlamydia, gonorrhoea or non-specific urethritis from health services in the UK. Participants will be allocated to receive the safetxt intervention (text messages designed to promote safer sexual health behaviours) or to receive the control text messages (monthly messages asking participants about changes in contact details) by an automated remote online randomisation system. The primary outcome will be the cumulative incidence of chlamydia and gonorrhoea infection at 1 year assessed by nucleic acid amplification tests. Secondary outcomes include partner notification, correct treatment of infection, condom use and STI testing prior to sex with new partners.Ethics and dissemination Ethics approval was obtained from NHS Health Research Authority - London – Riverside Research Ethics Committee (REC reference: 15/LO/1665) and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. We will submit the results of the trial for publication in peer-reviewed journals.Trial registration number International Standard Randomised Controlled Trials Number: ISRCTN64390461. Registered on 17th March 2016. WHO trial registration data set available at: http://apps.who.int/trialsearch/Trial2.aspx?TrialID=ISRCTN64390461.Trial protocol version 12, 19th July 2018.
