Trial reportBMJ (Clinical research ed.)2022
Effectiveness of a behavioural intervention delivered by text messages (safetxt) on sexually transmitted reinfections in people aged 16-24 years: randomised controlled trial.
Trial report in BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 9 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 16 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effects of Digital Health Interventions to Promote Safer Sex Behaviors Among Youth: Systematic Review and Bayesian Network Meta-Analysis.Journal of medical Internet research · 2026Pooled it
- Intervention to Increase Condom Use Among Users of Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) Self-Sampling Websites (Wrapped): Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Trial
- Trial
- Trial
- Real-time digital intervention on oral pre-exposure prophylaxis adherence among MSM: randomized controlled trial.NPJ digital medicine · 2025Article
- Prevent with Pleasure: A systematic review of HIV public communication campaigns incorporating a pleasure-based approach.PLOS global public health · 2025Article
- Don't Forget the Humble Text Message: 25 Years of Text Messaging in Health.Journal of medical Internet research · 2024Review
- A review of strategies and levels of community engagement in strengths-based and needs-based health communication interventions.Frontiers in public health · 2024Review
- Article
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
25 authors at 6 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveTo quantify the effects of a series of text messages (safetxt) delivered in the community on incidence of chlamydia and gonorrhoea reinfection at one year in people aged 16-24 years.
designParallel group randomised controlled trial.
setting92 sexual health clinics in the United Kingdom.
participantsPeople aged 16-24 years with a diagnosis of, or treatment for, chlamydia, gonorrhoea, or non-specific urethritis in the past two weeks who owned a mobile phone.
interventions3123 participants assigned to the safetxt intervention received a series of text messages to improve sex behaviours: four texts daily for days 1-3, one or two daily for days 4-28, two or three weekly for month 2, and 2-5 monthly for months 3-12. 3125 control participants received a monthly text message for one year asking for any change to postal or email address. It was hypothesised that safetxt would reduce the risk of chlamydia and gonorrhoea reinfection at one year by improving three key safer sex behaviours: partner notification at one month, condom use, and sexually transmitted infection testing before unprotected sex with a new partner. Care providers and outcome assessors were blind to allocation.
main outcome measuresThe primary outcome was the cumulative incidence of chlamydia or gonorrhoea reinfection at one year, assessed by nucleic acid amplification tests. Safety outcomes were self-reported road traffic incidents and partner violence. All analyses were by intention to treat.
results6248 of 20 476 people assessed for eligibility between 1 April 2016 and 23 November 2018 were randomised. Primary outcome data were available for 4675/6248 (74.8%). At one year, the cumulative incidence of chlamydia or gonorrhoea reinfection was 22.2% (693/3123) in the safetxt arm versus 20.3% (633/3125) in the control arm (odds ratio 1.13, 95% confidence interval 0.98 to 1.31). The number needed to harm was 64 (95% confidence interval number needed to benefit 334 to ∞ to number needed to harm 24) The risk of road traffic incidents and partner violence was similar between the groups.
conclusionsThe safetxt intervention did not reduce chlamydia and gonorrhoea reinfections at one year in people aged 16-24 years. More reinfections occurred in the safetxt group. The results highlight the need for rigorous evaluation of health communication interventions.
trial registrationISRCTN registry ISRCTN64390461.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.