Journal of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology
Volume 22, Issue 1 , Pages 33-39, February 2009

Racial/Ethnic Differences in Patterns of Sexual Behavior and STI Risk among Sexually Experienced Adolescent Girls

  • Beth A. Auslander, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics and Sealy Center for Vaccine Development, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas
    • Corresponding Author InformationAddress correspondence to: Beth Auslander, PhD, Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Boulevard, Galveston, TX 77555-0319.
    • ,
  • Frank M. Biro, MD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
    • ,
  • Paul A. Succop, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Environmental Health, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
    • ,
  • Mary B. Short, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics and Sealy Center for Vaccine Development, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas
    • ,
  • Susan L. Rosenthal, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics and Sealy Center for Vaccine Development, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas

Abstract 

Study Objective

Racial/ethnic differences in prevalence and patterns of oral and anal sex were analyzed among girls participating in a microbicide acceptability study.

Design

Cross-sectional analysis

Setting

Recruitment to participate in a 6-month study examining microbicide acceptability was conducted at a school-based health clinic and local colleges in Galveston, Texas and through snowball sampling.

Participants

Sexually experienced girls (n = 202) ages 14 to 21 years of age.

Main Outcome Measures

Girls reported on their demographic and sexual history at the intake interview.

Results and Conclusions

Their mean age was 18.2 years; 26% were white, 43% African-American, and 31% Hispanic. African-American girls were significantly less likely than whites and Hispanics to have had oral sex; no differences were found for anal sex. African-American girls were significantly older than whites and Hispanics when they initiated oral sex. African-American girls had a greater difference between ages of vaginal and oral sex initiation than whites and Hispanics. Oral sex history was associated with a 6-factor increase and anal sex history was associated with a 3-factor increase in the likelihood of a history of sexually transmitted infection. Future studies should explore these differences in greater depth in order to develop culturally specific STI prevention efforts.

Key Words: Adolescent, Oral sex, Anal sex, Race/ethnicity, Sexually transmitted infections

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 Sources of Support: Support was received from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (R01 HD4015101) and the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (U19 A161972, and N01 A150042) of the National Institutes of Health. It was also supported in part by the General Clinical Research Center (GCRC) at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston funded by a grant M01RR00073 from the National Center for Research Resources, NIH, USPHS.

PII: S1083-3188(08)00078-8

doi:10.1016/j.jpag.2008.01.075

Journal of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology
Volume 22, Issue 1 , Pages 33-39, February 2009

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