title: Truancy is associated with sexual risk among early adolescents.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  While previous studies have identified relationships between school truancy and adolescent substance use risk, sexual risk remains unaddressed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Urban early adolescents (mean age, 13.14 years) with mental health symptoms completed audio computer-assisted self-interviews regarding risk behaviors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Teens who reported a history of skipping school (n = 25), compared with those who did not (n = 113), indicated greater frequency of having ever engaged in oral, vaginal, and anal sex, as well as nonintercourse sexual behaviors. They also reported less value in remaining abstinent but did not demonstrate differences in HIV knowledge or school connectedness.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Truancy may serve as an important marker for the early identification of youth at risk for unintended pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases.
authors.affiliation: Bradley/Hasbro Children's Research Center of Rhode Island Hospital, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, USA. chouck@lifespan.org
authors.forename: Christopher D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Houck
authors.forename: Wendy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hadley
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tolou-Shams
authors.forename: Larry
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Brown
mesh_terms: D000041:Absenteeism; D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011275:Pregnancy, Unwanted; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*