Place matters: Association between meeting location of casual sex partners and sexual risk among African-American adolescent females

Many adolescents and young adults engage in non-committed sexual partnerships. Casual sex, or “hooking up”, has become more prevalent over the last decade. However, little is understood about where young people first meet and how this initial meeting may influence their risk behaviors during sex. 715 African-American adolescent females, 15-21 years, were enrolled in an HIV-prevention program. Laboratory-confirmed STD tests and data related to sexual partnerships and condom use were collected via ACASI at baseline, 6-, and 12-month follow-up. Analyses identified factors associated with risky sexual behaviors among adolescents with a casual sex partner. Over 25% reported having a casual sex partner at each time-point; 30% met their partner through a friend and 20% had sex within a week of meeting. Adolescents who met their casual partner through a friend, at school, in their neighborhood, or at a retail store were more likely to report partner concurrency (p<.02). Participants who met partners in familiar locations (e.g., school) initiated sex sooner than those who met partners at social locations (e.g., club) and were more likely to report perceived partner concurrency (p<.05). Conversely, participants who met partners in social locations were significantly more likely to initiate sex with their casual partners' male friends. Meeting partners through friends/family or at familiar locations may exacerbate sexual risk-taking. The context of casual partnerships can increase risk for negative health outcomes, especially if initiated through a familiar network. Risk reduction interventions should discuss perceived risk based on the relationship context (e.g., circumstances under which they met).