Stoyanoff SR, Weber MD, Gatson B, Ford WL, Kerndt PR; National Conference on Women & HIV.

Natl Conf Women HIV Natl Conf Women HIV Innov Care Policy Prev 1997 Los Angel Calif. 1997 May 4-7; 142 (abstract no. 222.4).

HIV Epidemiology Program, Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, Los Angeles, CA.

Objective: To identify factors associated with unprotected vaginal intercourse among females 12-24 years of age who attend a community-based health center in South Central Los Angeles. Methods: HIV serologic and demographic/risk behavior data were collected using an unlinked methodology. Females 12-24 years of age were eligible for study inclusion. Between September 1994 and November 1996 data were obtained from 2,414 eligible women. Caucasians, Asian/Pacific Islanders, and Native Americans represent less than 1% (n=16) and young bisexual and lesbian women represent less than 1% (n=23) of the sample. In total 2,390 unduplicated records for heterosexual Latina and African American females were analyzed. Bivariate analysis was used to examine associations between unprotected vaginal intercourse and demographic/risk behavior variables. Associated demographic/risk behaviors with p-values of less than .05 were entered into a stratified analysis utilizing logistic regression. Results: African Americans and Latinas represent 64% and 36% of the sample, respectively. Thirty-eight percent were 12-18, and 62% were 19-24 years old. Sixty-six percent had attended Maternal and Child Health or Obstetrics-Gynecology clinics (MCH/Ob). Thirty-two percent never used condoms during vaginal intercourse during the previous 12 months. Seroprevalence was 0.5% (10/2054). After adjusting for race and age, the following significant associations were observed with unprotected vaginal intercourse during the 12 month period prior to the interview. MCH/Ob patients were more likely to have never used condoms than were patients attending other primary health care clinics (OR 2.42 [2.21, 2.64]). Females born in Central or South America were more likely to have never used condoms than those born in the United States (OR 2.89 [2.61, 3.18]). Females who had completed 12 years or less of school compared to those who had completed more than 12 years (OR 1.46 [1.22, 1.69]); and those who were not currently in school compared to those currently in school (OR 1.77 [1.55, 1.99]) were more likely to have never used condoms. Further, young women who had one sex partner only compared to those who had more than one sex partner (OR 8.06 [7.81, 8.30]); and those who had their first sexual experience when they were older than 18 years of age compared to those who were 18 years or younger at their first sex (OR 3.51 [3.01, 4.02]) were more likely to have never used condoms. With respect to drug use, those who had not used alcohol compared to those who had used alcohol (OR 2.34 [2.15, 2.53]); and those who had not used marijuana compared to those who had used marijuana (OR 1.88 [1.67, 2.09]) were more likely to have never used condoms. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate the need for routine and ongoing HIV education and risk reduction in MCH and Ob-Gyn clinics, including a focus on cultural and social factors affecting sexual behavior, parity and childbearing expectations, sex partner sexual and drug use behavior, and their connection to HIV risk. In addition, these findings suggest the need for further research to better understand the factors associated with condom use which would include relationships between condom use and sex partner characteristics (e.g.,steady/nonsteady); knowledge of partner sexual and drug use behavior; perceptions of condom use and peer norms; negotiation and communication skills; HIV related knowledge; parity and childbearing expectations; education and career goals; and acculturation.

Publication Types:

• Meeting Abstracts

Keywords:

• Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
• African Americans
• Aged
• Behavior
• Bisexuality
• Child
• Community Health Centers
• Condoms
• European Continental Ancestry Group
• Female
• HIV Infections
• Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
• Hispanic Americans
• Humans
• Interviews as Topic
• Knowledge
• Los Angeles
• Minority Groups
• Pregnancy
• Risk-Taking
• Safe Sex
• Seroepidemiologic Studies
• Sexual Behavior
• Sexual Partners
• South America
• United States

Other ID:

• 97927363

UI: 102225968

From Meeting Abstracts