The role of feelings of intimacy on perceptions of risk for a sexually transmitted disease and condom use in the sexual relationships of adolescent African-American females.
OBJECTIVE
A core construct targeted by behavioural interventions is the perception that one is at risk for acquiring a sexually transmitted disease (STD). The objective of this analysis was to examine the role of intimacy on perceptions of risk for an STD (PRSTD) and condom use within late adolescent females' main relationships.


METHODS
A clinical sample of African-American women aged 14-19 years at enrolment were followed prospectively for 3 years. At each semiannual interview, participants reported their partner-specific PRSTD, feelings of intimacy, perceptions of partner's concurrency and condom use at last sex for each of their main sex partners.


RESULTS
A total of 285 individuals reported 724 main relationships. Using generalised estimating equations, intimacy was negatively associated with risk perception, after adjusting for perceptions of partner concurrency (OR: 0.68; 95% CI 0.60 to 0.76). PRSTD was no longer associated with condom use after adjusting for intimacy (OR: 1.30; 95% CI 0.83 to 2.02.


CONCLUSIONS
Intimacy was found to be associated with risk perception and condom use within adolescent main relationships. Adolescents may not view their intimate partners as sources of infection. The success of individual-level STD prevention efforts, such as condom promotion, might be limited as condoms may be in conflict with adolescents' expectations about intimate relationships.
Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA. pmatson1@jhmi.edu
Pamela A
PA
Matson
Shang-En
SE
Chung
Petra
P
Sander
Susan G
SG
Millstein
Jonathan M
JM
Ellen
D000293:Adolescent; D001741:Black or African American; D017280:Condoms / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012309:Risk-Taking; D021841:Safe Sex / Q000523:psychology*; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D055815:Young Adult