Monitoring Knowledge Among Family, Sexually Transmitted Infections, and Sexual Partnership Characteristics of African American Adolescent Females

Abstract

Among 284 African American girls aged 14 to 17 years, frequent family monitoring knowledge was associated with a reduced likelihood of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and having a casual sex partner but was not associated with other partnership characteristics. Family monitoring may offer an additional STI prevention opportunity for this vulnerable population.

Ecodevelopmental trajectories of family functioning: Links with HIV/STI risk behaviors and STI among Black adolescents.

“…Whereas some researchers have found that gender does not moderate the effects of family processes on adolescent problem behaviors in longitudinal designs (Goldstein, Davis-Kean, & Eccles, 2005), others have found that gender differences exist (Kan, Cheng, Landale, & McHale, 2010; Kogan, Brody, Chen, Grange, Slater, & DiClemente, 2010; Steiner, Swartzendruber, Rose, & DiClemente, 2014). Our findings indicate that the effects of parent support and family conflict on sexual risk behaviors vary as a function of gender.…”

“…For example, family functioning, including higher levels of family support and decreased conflict, have been shown to prevent and reduce sexual risk behaviors and STI in Black adolescents (Crosby, Wingood, DiClemente, & Rose, 2002; Murry, Simons, Simons, & Gibbons, 2013). Given that differences in parents’ child-rearing practices and gender role expectations may exist among Black families (Barman-Adhikari, Cederbaum, Sathoff, & Toro, 2014; Howard, Rose, & Barbarin, 2013), researchers have shown that the influence of family functioning on Black adolescent sexual risk behaviors varies as a function of gender (Kogan, Brody, Chen, Grange, Slater, & DiClemente, 2010; Steiner, Swartzendruber, Rose, & DiClemente, 2014). Higher levels of family functioning, including parent-adolescent communication, has been associated with a lower likelihood of unprotected sex for Black females but not males (Kogan et al, 2010).…”

Examination of Behavioral, Social, and Environmental Contextual Influences on Sexually Transmitted Infections in At Risk, Urban, Adolescents, and Young Adults

“…The correlation between substance use and STIs is well documented with evidence of its disinhibiting effects on sexual risk behaviors [5,17–20]. Similarly, the association between risky sexual partnerships and STIs is well established in the literature on AYA men and women [5,9,12,15–19]. However, regarding the significant association identified between HIV testing and STIs, it is unclear whether testing was a single event performed in the context of a routine healthcare visit or a repeat event to monitor HIV risk.…”

“…National surveillance, other population-based studies [5–7], and numerous other scientific studies have identified risks associated with STIs in AYAs, including sociodemographic risk markers such as younger age [5,8,9], female gender [5,10,12,15], racial and ethnic identity (African American/Black, Hispanic/Latino)[5,10,14], and sexual minority status (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) [5,7,16,17]. Research has also identified sexual behaviors (e.g., exchange of sex for drugs or money) [5,9,12,15–19], alcohol and other substance use [5,17–20], and perceived negative peer norms [21] as risk factors for STIs.…”

“…Research has also identified sexual behaviors (e.g., exchange of sex for drugs or money) [5,9,12,15–19], alcohol and other substance use [5,17–20], and perceived negative peer norms [21] as risk factors for STIs. These factors are well established with relative consistency in findings across studies.…”