Non-coital behaviors and disease risk among Black and Latina adolescent females

Background and Study Design – Sexual risk-reduction research has focused on coital behavior. However, non-coital contact also poses considerable health risks. Research suggests that ¼ - 1/3 of young women report engaging in receptive anal intercourse (RAI), the sexual behavior most likely to transmit HIV. The human papillomavirus (HPV) is an etiological factor for anal and oropharyngeal cancers, in addition to cervical cancer. There has been a dramatic increase in anal carcinoma over the last few decades.

Little is known about the context of noncoital behaviors. This paper reports on data from sexually active Black and Latina adolescent females (N=326) who use hormonal contraception. Data were examined for correlates of noncoital behaviors.

Results and Findings - Significant correlations were found between anal sex, early age at first vaginal intercourse, history of STIs, sexual abuse, and pregnancy. Significantly more Latinas had engaged in RAI than Blacks. Similar correlations exist with oral sex: cunnilingus was significantly correlated with history of pregnancy, STI, sexual abuse, RAI and fellatio. History of fellatio correlated with history of STIs, abuse and RAI. Most of the sample had given and/or received oral sex. There was no correlation between ethnicity and oral sex. There was significantly less condom use during anal and oral intercourse than vaginal.

Conclusions - Female adolescents who engage in noncoital behaviors were significantly more likely to report a high-risk sexual history. Rates of condom use were very low. More research is needed to contextualize these behaviors in order to develop effective risk-reduction interventions.