Texting young people who have recently had a sexually transmitted infection (STI) to encourage safer sex does not reduce chlamydia and gonorrhoea reinfection rates, a trial has found.
The findings were based on more than 6000 people aged 16 to 24 recently diagnosed with, or treated for, chlamydia, gonorrhoea or non-specific urethritis.
Half the participants were sent a series of text messages to improve sex behaviours. A further 3125 control participants received only a monthly text message asking for any changes to their address.
Researchers expected that the sex texts would improve safer sex behaviours, such as condom use. However, at one year, the rate of chlamydia or gonorrhoea reinfection was 22% in the text group versus 20% in the control group.
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