title: HIV risk perceptions among adolescents attending family planning clinics: an integrated perspective.
abstract: Abstract   The current study assessed the impact of individual, interpersonal, and contextual factors on HIV risk perception. A total of 426 female adolescents attending family planning clinics took part in this study. The majority, 60.1% were African-American and 39.9% were Hispanic. The results indicated that the majority of participants perceived themselves to be at no or low risk for contracting HIV. Individual, interpersonal as well as contextual factors correlated with HIV risk perception in the study. Adolescents who perceived themselves to be at no or low risk were more likely to be Hispanic, be married and had children. They also felt that they can control situations where they have to refuse sex or insist on condom use, had more frequent communication with sexual partners about condom use and held perceptions that peer norms support condom use. The findings in this study have important implications for risk reduction education for female adolescents. Risk reduction education should strengthen adolescents' personal skills to help them avoid HIV risk despite the various pressures they experience in their life.
authors.affiliation: OB/GYN Department, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA. rbuzi@bcm.edu
authors.forename: Ruth S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Buzi
authors.forename: Peggy B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Maxine L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Weinman
authors.forename: Gabrielle
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Novello
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003142:Communication; D017280:Condoms / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005193:Family Planning Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000523:psychology*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D010379:Peer Group; D010465:Perception; D012307:Risk Factors; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D012309:Risk-Taking; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012747:Sexual Partners; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D015206:Southwestern United States; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult