title: Factors influencing abstinence, anticipation, and delay of sex among adolescent boys in high-sexually transmitted infection prevalence communities.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Abstinence is a core pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention strategy. We explore the attitudinal, behavioral, and family contexts relating to abstinence and the decision to delay sex among adolescent boys.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adolescent boys ages 14-17 years were recruited from community sites using a venue-based sampling method. All eligible boys at venues were invited to participate in an electronic survey. Question items included sexual behaviors, attitudes related to sex, relationships, masculine values, and family contextual items.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We enrolled 667 participants, mean age 15.7 years, of diverse ethnicity. A total of 252 were abstinent (38%). Abstinent participants were younger and less likely to report non-coital behaviors, and reported lower conventional masculine values. Among abstinent participants, 62% planned to delay sex, whereas 38% anticipated sex in the next year. Participants with lower conventional masculine values and more religious or moral motivations for abstinence were more likely to plan to delay sex.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Abstinence among boys is common, even in high-STI risk communities. For these boys, abstinence appears to be a complex behavioral decision influenced by demographic, behavioral, attitudinal, and contextual factors such as age, race, non-coital sexual behaviors, and masculine values. Understanding the attitudes and contexts of abstinence, including plans to delay sex, can inform the development of public health programs for early fatherhood and STI prevention.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Section of Adolescent Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana. Electronic address: tcumming@iu.edu.
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Cummings
authors.affiliation: Division of Adolescent Medicine, University of California at San Francisco (UCSF), School of Medicine, San Francisco, California; UC, Berkeley-UCSF Joint Medical Program, UC, Berkeley School of Public Health, Berkeley, California.
authors.forename: Colette L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Auerswald
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Section of Adolescent Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana.
authors.forename: Mary A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ott
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012071:Religion and Sex; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012307:Risk Factors; D012746:Sexual Abstinence / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
keywords: Abstinence; Adolescent; Males