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Abstract #158710

Emily Rothman, ScD, Department of Social and Behavorial Sciences, Boston University School of Public Health, 715 Albany Street, T253W, Boston, MA 02132, 617-414-138, emfaith@aol.com, Michele R. Decker, MPH, Division of Public Health Practice, Harvard School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Ave, Kresge 705, Boston, MA 02115, Elizabeth Reed, MS, Yale Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS, Yale University, 135 College Street, Suite 200, New Haven, CT 06510, Anita Raj, PhD, Department of Social & Behavioral Sciences, Boston University School of Public Health, 715 Albany St., T2W, Boston, MA 02118, Elizabeth Miller, MD, PhD, Department of Pediatrics, University of California at Davis School of Medicine, 2516 Stockton Blvd., Ticon II, Rm 382, Sacramento, CA 95817, and Jay G. Silverman, PhD, Division of Public Health Practice/Department of Society, Human Development & Health, Harvard University, 677 Huntington Ave., Kresge 705, Boston, MA 02115.

Background: Our purpose was to estimate the prevalence and analyze the context of participation in a high-risk sexual behavior called “trains” among a sample of adolescent females. Methods: Adolescent girls attending 4 urban teen health centers completed an anonymous self-report survey on risk behaviors using an automated computer-assisted survey instrument (n=500). Respondents were asked a series of questions about trains, defined as sex with more than 1 person at the same time/at the same place. Results: Preliminary results suggest that ~5% of adolescent females report a lifetime history of train involvement. No differences were detected based on racial subgroups. The youngest age at first train participation was 9 years. Slightly less than half reported consistent condom use at last train encounter. Half (50.0%) of participants reporting train involvement indicated they had been pressured to participate, and 25% reported being forced to participate; overall, 58.3% reported participation as non-voluntary. Notably, females reporting train participation were significantly more likely to have been victimized by dating violence (OR 4.65, p<0.001). Discussion: Our results suggest that a small but significant portion of adolescent females have been involved in trains. The majority of such experiences were not voluntary, and inconsistent condom use in this context and high rates of dating abuse among participants suggest that train participation may be indicative of multiple health risks. Additional data is needed to understand this understudied behavior and its relation to the health and safety of women and girls.

Learning Objectives:

(
• Discuss the prevalence and context of a high-risk adolescent sexual behavior called “trains.” (
• Evaluate the consequences of the high-risk sexual behavior on female participants. (
• Articulate research and prevention program planning priorities that will reduce the negative health consequences of trains on girls

Keywords: Sexual Assault, Violence Prevention

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No
Any institutionally-contracted trials related to this submission?

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.