title: Immigration and sexual partner risk among Latino adolescents in San Francisco.
abstract: Sexual partner characteristics increase risk for adverse reproductive health outcomes. Evidence is limited regarding whether choice of sexual partners among Latino adolescents changes with U.S. acculturation/adaptation. We used generalized estimating equations to assess the associations between immigrant generation (recent immigrant, 1.5 [immigrated prior to adolescence], 2nd and 3rd) and sexual partner risk in a prospective cohort study of 411 Latino adolescents aged 14-19. We examined three measures of partner risk and mediating effects of family influence (familism and parental monitoring). The odds of reporting a partner with frequent substance use increased with increasing immigrant generation (odds ratios (OR) [reference = recent immigrants]: 2.3, 3.4, and 5.6) as did having a partner who was in a gang/incarcerated (OR [reference = recent immigrants]: 2.4, 3.6, and 5.7). Though the odds of having high-risk partners decreased with higher parental monitoring, neither family influence measure mediated these relationships. Findings underscore the need for a prevention focus on partner choice with attention to increased risk with increasing U.S. generation.
authors.affiliation: Women's Global Health Imperative, RTI International, San Francisco, CA 94104, USA. aminnis@rti.org
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Minnis
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Doherty
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: vanDommelen-Gonzalez
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Otero-Sabogal
authors.forename: N S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Padian
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D015331:Cohort Studies; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012495:San Francisco; D012747:Sexual Partners; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000208:ethnology / Q000635:transmission; D047568:Unsafe Sex / Q000208:ethnology*; D055815:Young Adult