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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Amy Louise Binggeli, DrPH, RD, CHES¹, Susanne Montgomery, PhD, MPH, MS², Jerry W. Lee, PhD², and Naomi Modeste, DrPH². (1) Imperial County Public Health Department, 935 Broadway, El Centro, CA 92243, 760-482-4716, amybinggeli@imperialcounty.net, (2) Health Promotion and Education, Loma Linda University School of Public Health, Nichol Hall Room 1511, Loma Linda, CA 92354

Early sexual activity can bring with it serious short and long term health consequences. Adolescent who have sex early are more likely to have unprotected and unsafe sex and have more lifetime partners. Early initiation sexual activity is associated with longer periods of risk taking in later adolescence and adulthood and may be a marker for poor adult outcomes around financial problems, economic success, incarceration and family formation. The intentions of 614 adolescents to have sex were examined in conjunction with their participation in risky behaviors (hard drugs, violence and suicide, alcohol and marijuana use) and protective factors (community connected and against teen sex, educational aspirations, emotional support from family, friends and girl/boyfriend or sexual partner). Key findings from Bi-variate and linear regression analyses revealed that alcohol and marijuana use were correlated with intention to have sex among adolescents, as was emotional support from a boy/girlfriend or sexual partner. This study offers insights regarding intentions to have sex among adolescents, pointing particularly to the issue of emotional support in a dating relationship as a motivation for having sex. Findings from this study can be used to develop health education and promotion programs focusing on delaying sexual intercourse.

Learning Objectives:

• List at least two risky behaviors associated with intentions to have sex among adolescents.
• Discuss how different types of emotional support can differentially influence adolescent’s intentions to have sex.
• Discuss similarities and differences between virgins and non-virgins and their intentions to have sex in the near future.

Keywords: Adolescents, Sex

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No