title: Correlates of sexual activity and sexually transmitted infections among human immunodeficiency virus-infected youth in the LEGACY cohort, United States, 2006.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To determine the prevalence and correlates of sexual activity and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected youth.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Longitudinal Epidemiologic Study to Gain Insight into HIV/AIDS in Children and Youth (LEGACY) is an observational medical record study of perinatally and behaviorally HIV-infected (PHIV and BHIV) youth followed at 22 US HIV clinics. PHIV youth were HIV infected at birth or by breast-feeding. BHIV youth were HIV infected sexually or by injection drug use. We determined the prevalence of sexual activity during 2006 and examined correlates of sexual activity among 13- to 24-year-old PHIV youth using multivariable generalized linear models. Among sexually active persons, we determined the association between mode of HIV acquisition and non-HIV STI diagnosis using multivariable generalized linear models.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In all, 34% (195/571) of PHIV and 89% (162/181) of BHIV youth were sexually active. Eighty percent (155/195) of sexually active PHIV youth reported ever using condoms. Ninety-three percent discussed sex with a health care provider. Increasing age (adjusted prevalence ratio [APR]: 1.17 per year of age, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.12-1.23), having a boyfriend/girlfriend (APR: 2.74, 95% CI = 1.75-4.29), and injection drug use (APR: 1.38, 95% CI = 1.06-1.79) correlated with sexual activity after adjusting for socio-demographic and HIV-related clinical variables. Among sexually active youth, after adjusting for relevant confounders, PHIV youth were less likely than BHIV youth to have been diagnosed with an STI in 2006 (APR: 0.25, 95% CI = 0.13-0.46).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sexual activity among HIV-infected adolescents is common. Factors associated with sexual activity in this study should be taken into account in developing behavioral risk reduction interventions targeting PHIV youth.
authors: Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA. rsetse@hotmail.com
authors: Rosanna W
authors: RW
authors: Setse
authors: George K
authors: GK
authors: Siberry
authors: Patti E
authors: PE
authors: Gravitt
authors: William J
authors: WJ
authors: Moss
authors: Allison L
authors: AL
authors: Agwu
authors: John T
authors: JT
authors: Wheeling
authors: Beverly A
authors: BA
authors: Bohannon
authors: Kenneth L
authors: KL
authors: Dominguez
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D017280:Condoms; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006678:HIV / Q000502:physiology*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology / Q000635:transmission*; D006801:Humans; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult