Do sexual health questions alter the public's response to lifestyle questionnaires?

Abstract

In England 600 people were randomly selected from the electoral registers in Solihull in the West Midlands for a study to determine whether the inclusion of a question about sexual health influenced the response rate to a postal survey designed to monitor lifestyle factors (e.g. diet exercise alcohol and smoking). 300 of the 600 questionnaires included the sexual health question: If you have had a sexual partner in the past 12 months please indicate below the type of contraception you or your partner regularly use (options: none rhythm the pill condom Femidom coil cap withdrawal sexual sterilization post menopause other and doesnt apply). The response rates for the 2 questionnaires were not statistically different (53.3% for sexual health questionnaire vs. 51% for other questionnaire; p = 0.567). The response rates for the follow-up of a second questionnaire were almost identical for both groups (70% vs. 69.7%). Only 3% of people responding to the second questionnaire with the sexual health question did not respond to the sexual health question. The groups of people responding to both questionnaire types were similar in age sex residency and ethnicity. The results suggest a possible upcoming shift in the UK towards more cultural acceptance of sexual topics. Future studies should ask more detailed questions on sexual health to test this acceptance.