Sexual orientation, sexual abuse, and HIV-risk behaviors among adolescents in the Pacific Northwest.

Full Abstract

OBJECTIVES:
We explored HIV risk behaviors, sexual orientation, and sexual abuse among 5 school-based cohorts in Seattle, Wash (SEA95 and SEA99:N=7477 and N=6590), and British Columbia (BC92, BC98, and BC03 [weighted]:
N=239975, N=281576, and N=265132).

METHODS:
An HIV risk scale of 7 items assessed risky sexual behaviors and injection drug use. Self-identified sexual orientation included heterosexual, bisexual, gay/lesbian, and, in British Columbia only, mostly heterosexual. Analyses of covariance were conducted separately by gender and were adjusted for age and sexual abuse when comparing means.

RESULTS:
Gay/lesbian and bisexual adolescents had higher mean age-adjusted risk scores compared with heterosexual and mostly heterosexual adolescents. After we controlled for sexual abuse history, mean scores were 2 to 4 times higher among abused students than among nonabused students in each sexual orientation group. Age/abuse-adjusted models better explained the variance in risk scores (R(2)=0.10-0.31), but sexual orientation remained an independent predictor.

CONCLUSION:
Sexual minority adolescents who attended school reported higher HIV risk behaviors, and higher prevalence of sexual victimization may partially explain these risks.

Learn Faster Today Improve your study skills

Author information

Author/s: Saewyc, Elizabeth (E); Skay, Carol (C); Richens, Kimberly (K); Reis, Elizabeth (E); Poon, Colleen (C); Murphy, Aileen (A);

Affiliation: RN, PHN, University of British Columbia School of Nursing, T201-2211 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada. saewyc(-atsign-)interchange.ubc.ca

Grants: R01 DA1797901 (Agency:NIDA NIH HHS) ; R01 MH-6258601 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: American journal of public health (Am J Public Health), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2006-Jun; vol 96 (issue 6) : pp 1104-10

Dates: Created 2006/05/22; Completed 2007/06/19; Revised 2008/11/20;

PMID: 16670224, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

External Links for this article (including full text providers, if available):

Click Electronic Full-text Provider Links to see options for finding the electronic full text links to this article. Note there may be a subscription or fee required for access to the full text. See our FAQ for information on finding FREE full text articles.

This article may also be located in paper journal collections available in many libraries. Use the Journal and Publication Information above to find the full article.

MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adolescent
Adolescent Behavior - psychology
British Columbia
Child
Child Abuse, Sexual - psychology; statistics & numerical data
Cohort Studies
Female
HIV Infections
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice

Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
Health Surveys
Humans
Male
Risk Assessment
Risk Factors
Risk-Taking
Sexuality - classification; psychology
Washington

These are the highest related articles currently in the database:

See 100+ related articles.