Testing for sexually transmitted diseases among women of reproductive age: United States, 1988
Mosher, W.D.; Aral, S.O.
Family Planning Perspectives 23(5): 216-221
1991
ISSN/ISBN: 0014-7354 PMID: 1743274 DOI: 10.2307/2135756Document Number: 319448
Approximately 13.3 million women ages 15-44, about 26% of all women of reproductive age who had ever had intercourse, were tested for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in the 12 months before the 1988 National Survey of Family Growth. Slightly over 1/2 of the women tested received the test as part of a family planning visit. Women who had used clinics for family planning services were most likely to be tested--54% as compared to 34% of women who had used a private doctor for family planning and 16% of women who did not receive family planning services at all that year. The findings suggest that access to medical care, especially access to family planning clinics, has strong effects on a woman's chances of being screened for STDs, independent of her individual characteristics. The most important individual characteristic which affects the chance of being tested for an STD was race; about 47% of black, 27% of Hispanic, and 23% of white and other women were tested in the 12 months prior to the survey. Among groups with high-risk behaviors, only 34% of sexually experienced teens were screened for STDs in the past year, as were only 43% of women with a positive STD history and 32% of women with 10 or more lifetime partners.