Original articleWhy Girls Choose Not to Use Barriers to Prevent Sexually Transmitted Infection During Female-to-Female Sex
Section snippets
Methods
LB girls, ages 14–18 years (see Table 1 for more descriptive information), were recruited primarily through Facebook using standardized protocols [26], [27], [28]. The 160 girls participated in asynchronous, online focus groups as part of a larger project. Online focus groups were chosen as a convenient way to interact with LB girls from all over the U.S. while protecting their identities [29]. The University of British Columbia's Behavioral Research Ethics Board and the Chesapeake
Results
Four main themes emerged as part of participant's reasons for why they would not use barriers. The themes, as discussed in greater detail below, concerned pleasure, risk linked to sex of partner, lack of knowledge of barriers, and STI testing as a prevention measure. Results also noted that once the topic of barriers was introduced in the focus groups, some participants did share reasons and scenarios in which they might use barriers, particularly among inexperienced girls.
Discussion
Despite the increased risk of STIs and adolescent pregnancy among LB girls [1], [2], [3], participants in this study had limited knowledge of their STI risk or interest in using barriers for protection. Some girls highlighted lack of access as key reasons why they did not use them. Consistent with other literature [32], [33], participants also had limited knowledge of the risk for STI transmission during female-to-female sex and limited knowledge of female specific barriers. Prevention programs
Limitations
Our results confirm the findings of similar studies with adult bisexual and lesbian women and offers further insight about an overall lack of knowledge and awareness among younger populations, but limitations exist. Although the online medium allowed us to interact with a large number of girls across the U.S., the asynchronous format made asking follow-up questions a challenge. The medium did not always encourage cross talk and conversation that may have helped the girls elaborate on their
Funding Sources
This work was supported by the Office of Adolescent Health, Award No. TP2AH000035.
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Conflicts of Interest: The authors have no conflict of interest.