STD and HIV risk factors among U.S. young adults: variations by gender, race, ethnicity and sexual orientation.
BACKGROUND
STDs, including HIV, disproportionately affect individuals who have multiple minority identities. Understanding differences in STD risk factors across racial, ethnic and sexual minority groups, as well as genders, is important for tailoring public health interventions.


METHODS
Data from Waves 3 (2001-2002) and 4 (2007-2008) of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health were used to develop population-based estimates of STD and HIV risk factors among 11,045 young adults (mean age, 29 at Wave 4), by gender, race and ethnicity, and sexual orientation (heterosexual, mixed-oriented, gay). Regression analyses were conducted to examine associations between risk factors and young adults' characteristics.


RESULTS
Overall, sexual-minority women in each racial or ethnic group had a higher prevalence of sexual risk behaviors-including a history of multiple partners, forced sex and incarceration-than their heterosexual counterparts. Mixed-oriented women in each racial or ethnic group were more likely than heterosexual white women to have received an STD diagnosis (odds ratios, 1.8-6.4). Black men and sexual-minority men also appeared to be at heightened risk. Gay men in all racial and ethnic groups were significantly more likely than heterosexual white men to report having received an STD diagnosis (2.3-8.3); compared with heterosexual white men, mixed-oriented black men had the highest odds of having received such a diagnosis (15.2).


CONCLUSIONS
Taking account of multiple minority identities should be an important part of future research and intervention efforts for STD and HIV prevention.
Department of Sociology, Institute of Behavioral Science, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA. sanyu.mojola@colorado.edu
Sanyu A
SA
Mojola
Bethany
B
Everett
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008913:Minority Groups / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012309:Risk-Taking; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000208:ethnology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019529:Sexuality / Q000208:ethnology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult