The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #70576

Elizabeth M. Saewyc, PhD, RN, PHN¹, Carol L. Skay, PhD¹, Sandra Pettingell, PhD¹, Aileen Murphy, MA², and Elizabeth Reis, MS³. (1) School of Nursing, University of Minnesota, 6-101 WDH, 308 Harvard St. S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55455, 612-624-2176, saewyc@umn.edu, (2) McCreary Centre Society, 401 N. Esmond Ave., Burnaby, BC V5C1S4, Canada, (3) Public Health--Seattle and King County, 2124 Fourth Ave., Seattle, WA 98121

Purpose: This study explored HIV risk behaviors and sexual orientation among adolescents surveyed in 4 school cohorts in Seattle and British Columbia (SEA: 1995, N=7,477 & 1999, N=7,830; BC (weighted): 1992, N=239,975 & 1998, N=281,576). Methods: An HIV-Risk scale was developed from 7 items that assessed risky sexual behaviors, injection drug use [IDU], and substance use during sex (SEA99 used 6 items), scored 0-100, 0=no risk. Three categories of self-identified orientation were used for SEA (heterosexual [H], bisexual [B], gay or lesbian [G/L]) while BC added “mostly heterosexual” [MH] which could not be combined due to demographic differences. Analyses, conducted separately by gender, used ANCOVA, adjusting first for age, then forced intercourse or sexual abuse. Results: In all cohorts, B and G/L students had significantly higher age-adjusted HIV-Risk scores than H and MH, in part due to much higher prevalence of IDU among B and G/L (boys, H=6.79-14.59, MH=6.80-8.34, B=17.57-38.21, G=25.17-39.70; girls, H=5.68-11.92, MH=6.78-10.52, B=9.06-25.04, L=16.19-20.36). All 8 ANCOVA models were significant (each model p<.001, R2 ranged from .028 to .118). Controlling for forced intercourse, B or G/L were 2-5 times more likely to report forced intercourse; mean HIV-Risk scores were 2-4 times higher for abused within each orientation group. In the age/abuse-adjusted models (R2 =.093-.293), although orientation remained significant in all but 1 model (girls SEA95), its effect was greatly reduced. Conclusion: Lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth in school are at increased risk for HIV risk behaviors, but greater likelihood of sexual victimization and IDU helps explain this risk.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of this session, the participant will be able to:
• Describe 6 adolescent risk behaviors for HIV acquisition that are commonly measured in school-based surveys.
• Identify differences in prevalence of sexual and other risk behaviors for acquiring HIV among heterosexual, bisexual, and gay or lesbian adolescents in the Pacific Northwest.
• List at least two contributing factors that are associated with increased HIV risk behaviors among specific orientation groups of adolescent boys and girls.

Keywords: HIV Risk Behavior, Adolescents

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.