Correlates of having unprotected vaginal sex among detained adolescent females: an exploratory study of sexual factors.
BACKGROUND
Erotophilia, motivations for engaging in sex, and pleasure-related barriers to using condoms may all be important determinants of whether high-risk adolescent females have sex unprotected by a condom. This exploratory study identified associations between these factors and engaging in unprotected vaginal sex (UVS) among a sample of adolescent females recruited from short-term detention facilities in the USA.


METHODS
A cross-sectional survey of 211 adolescent females (14-18 years of age) was conducted. Only those indicating they had sex within the past 2 months were included in the analysis. Adolescents were recruited within eight detention facilities. Measures were assessed using audio-computer assisted self-interviewing (A-CASI).


RESULTS
In race-adjusted analyses, adolescents indicating greater pleasure-associated barriers to using condoms were more than 4.3 times more likely than those indicating fewer barriers to report having UVS in the past 2 months (AOR = 4.36; 95% CI = 2.15-8.86). Similarly, those scoring higher in erotophilia (compared with those scoring lower) were more than twice as likely to report UVS (AOR = 2.08; 95% CI = 1.02-4.24). Finally, adolescents who had ever been pregnant were approximately 2.5 times more likely to report having recent UVS (AOR = 2.48; 95% CI = 1.1-5.34). With the exception of having five or more sex partners in the past 2 months (P = 0.08), none of the remaining correlates approached multivariate significance.


CONCLUSIONS
Constructs such as erotophilia and pleasure-related barriers to condom use may be important correlates of UVS among this population of high-risk adolescents.
Crosby
Richard
R
College of Public Health, University of Kentucky, Lexington, USA. crosby@uky.edu
Salazar
Laura F
LF
DiClemente
Ralph J
RJ
Yarber
William L
WL
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D003075:Coitus / Q000523:psychology*; D017280:Condoms / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016017:Odds Ratio; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D012309:Risk-Taking; D021841:Safe Sex / Q000523:psychology*; D012736:Sex Education / Q000592:standards; D012747:Sexual Partners / Q000523:psychology; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D047568:Unsafe Sex / Q000523:psychology*