Perceived STD risk, relationship, and health values in adolescents' delaying sexual intercourse with new partners.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the amount of time adolescents waited to have intercourse with past partners (main and casual), and intentions to delay with future partners. To determine psychosocial factors which predict delay intentions among adolescent males and females with future partners (main and casual).


METHODS
Adolescent STD clinic attendees were approached before clinical appointments to participate in an interview. Data from 205 participants who had previous experience with both main and casual partners were used in the current study.


RESULTS
Adolescents waited less time to have intercourse with most recent casual than with most recent main partners (chi2 = 31.97, p<0.0001). The amount of time waited with past partners was shorter than intended time to wait in future relationships (medians of 1 month v 2 months (main) (t = 3.47, p<0.0010; medians of 2 weeks v 1 month (casual) (t = 6.14, p<0.0001)). Factors influencing intentions to delay intercourse with future main partners differed by sex; males were negatively influenced by importance of sex in relationships, while females were positively influenced by importance of intimacy in relationships, perceived risk of STDs, and health values.


CONCLUSIONS
Implications for designing interventions for adolescent males and females are discussed.
Rosengard
C
C
Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Rhode Island Hospital, Brown University School of Medicine, Providence, RI 02903, USA. Cynthia_rosengard@Brown.edu
Adler
N E
NE
Millstein
S G
SG
Gurvey
J E
JE
Ellen
J M
JM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003075:Coitus; D017280:Condoms / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012495:San Francisco; D012747:Sexual Partners; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000523:psychology / Q000635:transmission*; D013997:Time Factors