DOLESCENTS ARE ACKNOWLedged as a population at increased risk of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. 1-5 Among adolescents, African American girls are a subgroup at particularly high risk of HIV infection. A seroepidemiologic study of Job Corps applicants reported that HIV prevalence among African American adolescent girls was significantly higher than among their white or Hispanic female peers (4.9 vs 0.7 and 0.6 per 1000, respectively) and exceeds that of white, Hispanic, and African American male adolescents (0.8, 1.5, and 3.2 per 1000, respectively). African American adolescent girls in the South had the highest prevalence (6.4 per 1000) relative to adolescents from other geographic regions. 6 Recent meta-analyses and reviews indicate that theoretically derived and empirically based HIV interventions can Author Affiliations are listed at the end of this article.

The findings demonstrate a consistent pattern of health risk behaviors and adverse biological outcomes associated with less perceived parental monitoring. Additional research needs to focus on developing theoretical models that help explain the influence of familial environment on adolescent health and develop and evaluate interventions to promote the health of adolescents.

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