An examination of sexual risk behaviors in adolescent substance users

Abstract

Objectives: This study examined the risk for engaging in high-risk sexual behavior associated with substance use in a sample of U.S. adolescents. Methods: The sample (N D 15,425) was obtained via the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, a survey of public high school students. Results: Substance use was associated with sexual risk behaviors, with odds ratios being greatest for adolescents who used cigarettes and illicit substances, as well as those who engaged in injection drug use. Conclusions: Results highlight the need for prevention and intervention programs targeting sexual risk behaviors in substance-using adolescents as a means to decrease the spread of sexually transmitted infections.

Racial-Ethnic Differences in Sexual Risk Behaviors: The Role of Substance Use

“…Drug and alcohol use have been found to be consistently strong determinants of sexual risk behavior for college students and young adults across racial-ethnic groups (Cooper, 2002; Guo et al, 2002; Johnson & Chen, 2014; Livingston, Testa, Windle, & Bay-Cheng, 2015; Moilanen, 2013; Thamotharan, Grabowski, Stefano, & Fields, 2014; Valois, Oeltmann, Waller, & Hussey, 1999). In extreme cases, substance use increases the likelihood that individuals will participate in risky sexual behaviors in order to acquire drugs.…”

Identifying and Addressing the Unmet Health Care Needs of Drug Court Clients

“…Substance abusers may also visit locations like shooting galleries, crack houses, and other environments that are breeding grounds for infectious diseases like tuberculosis (Kaushik, Kapila, & Praharaj, 2011; Leonhardt, Gentile, Gilbert, & Aiken, 1994; Singer, 2014; Story, Bothamley, & Hayward, 2008). Substance use also often leads to poor decision making with respect to sexual partners and safe sex practices, increasing the individual's risk of contracting HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (Brewer, Zhao, Metsch, Coltes, & Zenilman, 2007; Celentano, Latimore, & Mehta, 2008; Cheng et al, 2010; Kwiatkowski & Booth, 2000; Royce, Sena, Cates, & Cohen, 1997; Thamotharan, Grabowski, Stefano, & Fields, 2015). These are just a few examples of the lifestyle factors that increase substance abusers' susceptibility to a host of medical conditions.…”

Sex Differences in Contraception Non‐Use Among Urban Adolescents: Risk Factors for Unintended Pregnancy

“…Many of these high‐risk behaviors co‐occur among sexually active boys and girls resulting in complex interactions between behaviors and exposure that may influence reproductive health and well‐being . For example, depressive symptoms, substance use, and high‐risk sexual activity have been shown to co‐occur, and experiences with violence may co‐occur with risky sexual behaviors such as substance use and contraception non‐use . Furthermore, adolescents have particular high rates of contraception non‐use and report variations in risk behaviors between the sexes, with boys traditionally reporting more risk‐taking behaviors than girls .…”

“…The multiple health behavior change approach suggests that understanding patterns of risk behavior co‐occurrence is a necessary precursor to improved intervention development . Studies to date that have examined the co‐occurrence of risk behaviors in adolescents have largely focused on a limited number of behavioral domains (substance use and sexual activity factors) and few have considered sex differences in these behaviors . The limited scope of UP risk behaviors considered in previous studies has prevented the simultaneous consideration of a full range of risk behaviors that may co‐occur as well as account for confounding effects by multiple behaviors .…”

“…Studies to date that have examined the co‐occurrence of risk behaviors in adolescents have largely focused on a limited number of behavioral domains (substance use and sexual activity factors) and few have considered sex differences in these behaviors . The limited scope of UP risk behaviors considered in previous studies has prevented the simultaneous consideration of a full range of risk behaviors that may co‐occur as well as account for confounding effects by multiple behaviors . We propose to expand the range of determinants examined for contraception non‐use so that the relative contribution of a wide range of factors, and their role in contraception non‐use among adolescent boys and girls can be identified.…”