Women's Communication Self-efficacy And Expectations Of Primary Male Partners' Cooperation In Sexually Transmitted Infection Treatment In Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam: A Cross-sectional Study..pdf

Women's Communication Self-Efficacy and STI Treatment

The authors appreciate the thorough reviews and constructive feedback from all reviewers. They have thoroughly addressed each comment, revising the manuscript extensively as follows:

Contextual Information:

Added details about STI testing and partner notification services in Vietnam (lines 54-60), highlighting the lack of couple-based prevention programs despite a high prevalence of recurrent STIs in this setting.
Clarified that social structures in Vietnam can limit women's economic and social freedom, potentially impacting their self-efficacy in partner communication.

Rationale for Focusing on Women:

Acknowledged the reviewer’s point about male patients being more likely to seek STI treatment directly. However, emphasized that women are often less likely to recognize symptoms or attribute them to STIs due to societal norms and double standards.
Highlighted the target population of national obstetrics/gynecology hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), where women are more likely to access care than men.

Relationship Factors:

Agreed that intimate partner violence and economic dependence are crucial factors affecting communication self-efficacy. They plan to include these in future interventions, potentially using alternative approaches like provider notification for violent relationships.

Predictors of Behavior Beyond Self-Efficacy:

Confirmed that this pilot study focused on perceived self-efficacy as the primary predictor.
Mentioned that they asked about relationship commitment (e.g., identifying primary partner type) but did not explore broader theoretical constructs in depth.

Risk Factor for STIs:

Explained the rationale for using having three sexual partners in a lifetime as an inclusion criterion, highlighting their proxy definition for recruiting women at high risk of STI, including FSWs (lines 109-112).

Sensitive Data Collection:

* Recognized the sensitivity of the topic and emphasized that interviews were conducted privately in clinic rooms to protect patient confidentiality.

The authors believe these revisions address the reviewers' concerns and strengthen the overall quality of the manuscript.