Sexually transmitted infections and drug involvement: Interrelated public health problems among high risk youths

It has long been recognized that many youths having contact with, or entering the juvenile justice system, are experiencing multiple psychosocial and health problems. However, knowledge of the rates and correlates of their sexually transmitted infections (STIs) has been limited to youths placed in secure settings–such as detention centers. Data collected in a NIDA-funded study, involving 443 female and 507 male youths processed at the Hillsborough County Juvenile Assessment Center, a centralized intake facility in Tampa, Florida, between June and December 2006, enabled us to study this important public health problem among youths who entered the justice system and youths who were released back to the community. We report the results of analyses identifying subgroups of youths with varying degrees of risk of both STIs (chlamydia and gonorrhea) and drug use (based on urine testing); and examine how these groups of youths differ in their sociodemographic, offense, and risk behavior characteristics. The results: (1) highlight that youths' STIs and drug use are interrelated phenomena, (2) indicate that youths in the various risk groups reflect significant differences in their offense and risk behavior characteristics, and (3) inform the development of assessment and intervention strategies to address these serious public health problems among at-risk youths.