When a relationship is imperative, will young women knowingly place their sexual health at risk? A sample of African American adolescent girls in the juvenile justice system

Details

• Alternative Title:
  Sex Health
• Personal Author:
  Raiford, Jerris L. ; Seth, Puja ; Fasula, Amy M. ; DiClemente, Ralph J.
• Description:
  Background:
  
  HIV and other sexually transmissible infections (HIV/STIs) are significant contributors to adolescent girls’ morbidity in the US. Risks for HIV/STIs are increased among adolescent girls involved in the juvenile justice system, and African American adolescent girls comprise nearly 50% of adolescent girls in detention centres. Although HIV prevention programs focus on HIV/STI knowledge, increased knowledge may not be sufficient to reduce sexual risk. The present study examined the interactive effects of HIV/STI knowledge and the importance of being in a relationship (a relationship imperative) on sexual risk behaviours in a sample of detained African American adolescent girls.
  
  Methods:
  
  In all, 188 African American adolescent girls, 13–17 years of age, were recruited from a short-term detention facility in Atlanta, Georgia, and completed assessments on sexual risk behaviours, relationship characteristics, HIV/STI knowledge and several psychosocial risk factors.
  
  Results:
  
  When girls endorsed a relationship imperative, higher HIV/STI knowledge was associated with low partner communication self-efficacy, inconsistent condom use and unprotected sex, when controlling for demographics and self-esteem.
  
  Conclusions:
  
  Young girls with high HIV/STI knowledge may have placed themselves at risk for HIV/STIs given the importance and value they place on being in a relationship. Contextual factors should be considered when developing interventions.
  
  
• Subjects:
  Adolescent Black Or African American Communication Condoms Criminal Law Female Health Behavior Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice HIV Infections Humans Interpersonal Relations Self Concept Self Efficacy Sexual Behavior Sexual Health Sexual Partners Unsafe Sex

  More +
• Keywords:
  Condom Use Detained Detention HIV/STI Incarcerated Knowledge
• Source:
  Sex Health. 14(4):331-337
• Pubmed ID:
  28445686
• Pubmed Central ID:
  PMC11025295
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Funding:
  CC999999/ImCDC/Intramural CDC HHSUnited States/ ; UR6 PS000679/PS/NCHHSTP CDC HHSUnited States/
• Place as Subject:
  Georgia
• Volume:
  14
• Issue:
  4
• Collection(s):
  CDC Public Access
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:73fd82e91d06b2910eaaa7386da0dbea9df26f02db5edd8569cf4388b8802aab
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/154548/cdc_154548_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.27 MB ]