Table 1.

Results of 74 Randomized Controlled Trials Evaluating 75 Interventions to Prevent Sexually Transmitted Infections

	STI Prevention Effectivenessa
Type of Intervention	Positive Effect on STI Risk		Adverse Effect on STI Risk		No Effect on STI Risk		Total, no.
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
Behavioral interventions	17	63	1b	6	9	33	27
Physical barrier methods					4	100	4
Vaginal microbicides	3	25	2	17	7	58	12
Male circumcision	3	75			1	25	4
Partner services	4	57			3	43	7
Treatment	7	88			1	13	8
Vaccines and passive immunization	10	83			2	17	12
Multicomponent interventions			1	100			1
Total	44	59	4b	5	27	36	75

Abbreviation: STI, sexually transmitted infection.

^aPositive effect: intervention significantly reduced the risk of laboratory-confirmed STI in the intervention arm compared with the control arm; adverse effect: intervention significantly increased the risk of laboratory-confirmed STI in the intervention arm compared with the control arm; no effect: intervention showed no significant effect (positive or adverse) and, thus, the null hypothesis could not be rejected. Row percentages are displayed.

^bA statistically significant adverse effect for a behavioral intervention was reported among a subgroup of 1,783 men, but there was no effect overall (Sex Transm Dis. 2005;32(2):130–138 (17)). Results for this trial are tallied under adverse effect only.