title: Early socioeconomic disadvantage and young adult sexual health.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To test a longitudinal and multilevel model predicting young adult risky sexual behaviors and sexually transmitted infections.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from 14,058 participants in 3 waves were used to link community and family disadvantage, adolescent adjustment problems,  and risky sexual behaviors with STIs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Community-level disadvantage, being African American, and being female remained predictors of sexual behaviors and STIs whereas adolescent adjustment mediated the effect of several family characteristics.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study  demonstrates how individual-, family-, and community-level characteristics and vulnerabilities contribute to young adult sexual risk and STI prevalence. Findings indicate specific individual characteristics and childhood experiences that should be specific targets of STI prevention efforts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Development & Family Studies, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA. tzw0003@auburn.edu
authors.forename: Thulitha
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wickrama
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Merten
authors.forename: K A S
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Wickrama
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D011203:Poverty; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012044:Regression Analysis; D060728:Reproductive Health; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D014481:United States; D047568:Unsafe Sex; D055815:Young Adult