Having sex and condom use: potential risks and benefits reported by young, sexually inexperienced adolescents.
OBJECTIVE
This study determines what young adolescents themselves identify as the potential positive and negative outcomes of having sex, using a condom and not using a condom.


METHODS
Using written surveys, 418 ethnically diverse ninth graders, 86% of whom had never had sex, responded to a scenario describing two adolescents who had sex. One randomly selected group read a scenario in which a condom was used; the other group read a scenario in which no condom was used. All participants were asked to list the risks and benefits of having sex. Depending on the scenario read, participants were asked to list the risks and benefits of either using or not using a condom. Responses were coded thematically. Percentages of responses were compared with chi-square analysis in total and by gender.


RESULTS
Participants spontaneously identified a broad range of health and psychosocial risks and benefits of having sex, using a condom and not using a condom. A strong aversion to pregnancy was evident, and the risks of sexually transmitted disease/human immunodeficiency virus (STD/HIV) and condom malfunction were commonly mentioned. Benefits of using a condom included pregnancy and STD prevention. Benefits of both having sex and of not using a condom included improving the relationship, fun, and pleasure. Gender differences emerged across questions.


CONCLUSIONS
Communication with adolescents regarding safe sexual activity could benefit from widening the communication from a focus on health risks to include discussion of the psychosocial risks and benefits that adolescents themselves think about with respect to sex and condom use.
Widdice
Lea E
LE
Division of Adolescent Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94118-6106, USA. widdicel@peds.ucsf.edu
Cornell
Jodi L
JL
Liang
Wendra
W
Halpern-Felsher
Bonnie L
BL
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002140:California; D003075:Coitus / Q000523:psychology*; D017280:Condoms / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018570:Risk Assessment