202319 Alcohol use as a predictor of risky sexual practices and psychosocial mediators of HIV/STI-associated sexual risk behaviors among African-American female adolescents

Monday, November 9, 2009: 12:50 PM

Puja Seth, PhD , Department of Behavioral Sciences and Health Education, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
Jessica Sales, PhD , Rollins School of Public Health Department of Behavioral Sciences and Health Education, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
Shilpa N. Patel, MPH , Department of Behavioral Sciences and Health Education, Emory University, Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA
Ralph J. DiClemente, PhD , Rollins School of Public Health and Center for AIDS Research, Emory Univeristy, Atlanta, GA
Gina M. Wingood, MPH ScD , Rollins School of Public Health Department of Health Sciences and Behavioral Education, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
Eve S. Rose, MSPH , Rollins School of Public Health, Department of Behavioral Science and Health Education, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
Background: Scant literature has reviewed alcohol consumption and sexual behavior among African-American adolescents. Alcohol can interfere with cognitive processing of information, which may influence sexual decision-making and increase the likelihood of risky sexual practices. The present study examined frequency of alcohol use as a predictor of risky sexual practices and psychosocial mediators of HIV/STI-associated risk behaviors.

Methods: A sample 318 of African-American female adolescents, 15-21 years, completed an ACASI assessing sociodemographics, alcohol use, risky sexual practices, and mediators of HIV/STI-associated behaviors. High frequency of alcohol use was defined as ≥ 3 days during the past 30 days.

Results: Multiple logistic regression analyses, with age and intervention group as covariates, indicated that high frequency of alcohol use at baseline predicted low social support (OR=1.61, p=.04), low family support (OR=1.86, p=.01), having a casual sexual partner (OR=1.86, p=.01), and multiple sexual partners (OR=1.63, p=.04) at 6-months follow-up. Psychological distress also predicted high sexual adventurism (OR=1.74, p=.02), strong peer norms supporting high-risk behavior (OR=1.75, p=.02) at 12-months follow-up, and sex while high on alcohol or drugs at 6-(OR=3.85, p=.00) and 12-months (OR=2.39, p=.00) follow-up.

Conclusions: These findings suggest that HIV-related behavioral interventions for African-American adolescents should incorporate information regarding the link between alcohol and HIV-risk behavior. A deeper understanding of this relationship is paramount to the development of efficacious prevention programs at the individual and community level. Clinicians who provide STI services should be encouraged to screen African-American adolescents on alcohol consumption, especially those engaging in high-risk sexual behavior.

Learning Objectives:
1. Explain that African-American female adolescents are particularly at risk for contracting a sexually transmitted infection 2. Identify alcohol use as a predictor of HIV/STI-risk behavior and psychosocial mediators of HIV/STI-associated risk behaviors among African-American female adolescents. 3. Discuss the clinical implications of the relationship between alcohol use and risky sexual practices among African-American female adolescents.

Keywords: Alcohol Use, Sexual Risk Behavior

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a NIH postdoctoral research fellow at Emory University in the Rollin School of Public Health, where my training is focused on STI/HIV research with women and adolescents.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

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.

See more of: Comprehensive Approaches to Reducing HIV Among Adolescents
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