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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Bethanie S. Carr, School of Public Health, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 1200 Herman Pressler, Houston, TX 77030, 4104591796, bethaniecarr@yahoo.com, Constance M. Wiemann, PhD, Pediatrics, Section of Adolescent and Sports Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, 6701 Fannin Street, Houston, TX 77030, and Robert J. Volk, PhD, Family & Community Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, 3701 Kirby Drive Suite 600, Houston, TX 77098.

Background: Factors associated with inconsistent condom use by pregnant and parenting female adolescents are not well known.

Methods: Sexual risk behaviors were compared among race/ethnic subgroups in a cohort of 932 Caucasian, Mexican-American, and African-American adolescent mothers surveyed at 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months following delivery. Guided by Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory, individual-, dyad-, family-, and peer/community-level factors associated with never or inconsistently using condoms (as compared to always) during intercourse were examined at 12 months post delivery using multinomial logistic regression.

Results: > 75% of adolescent mothers resumed sexual activity by 3 months postpartum. African-Americans were consistently more likely than Mexican-Americans and Caucasians to report always using a condom, but also more likely to report having sex with > 1 partner, someone not known well, and someone who was having sex with others. Caucasians were at greatest risk for STI/HIV overall. Factors differentiating those who always used condoms from those who never or inconsistently used condoms at 12 months included: condom use at 6 months, partner refusal to use condoms, race/ethnicity, pregnancy status, intimate partner violence, maternal monitoring, and church attendance.

Discussion: Pregnant and parenting female adolescents place themselves and their infants at risk for contracting STIs by engaging in high-risk sexual activities. Multi-level interventions are needed to promote change in the sexual behaviors of adolescent parents. Clinicians should continue to screen for intimate partner violence, promote condom use/negotiation skills, and relate the risks of STIs well into the postpartum period. Dual contraceptive use should be emphasized.

Learning Objectives:

• To examine the prevalence and race/ethnic differences in high risk sexual behaviors as well as identify multi-level predictors of condom use among a tri-ethnic cohort of adolescent mothers.

Keywords: Adolescents, Sexual Risk Behavior

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation