Sexual Health Behavior Interventions for U.S. Latino Adolescents: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Abstract

Study Objective To identify sexual health behavior interventions targeting U.S. Latino adolescents. Design A systematic literature review. Setting Peer-reviewed articles published between 1993 and 2011, conducted in any type of setting. Participants Male and female Latino adolescents ages 11–21 years. Interventions Interventions promoting sexual abstinence, pregnancy prevention, sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention, and/or HIV/AIDS prevention. Main Outcome Measures Changes in knowledge, attitudes, engagement in risky sexual behaviors, rates of STIs, and/or pregnancy. Results Sixty-eight articles were identified. Fifteen were included in this review that specifically addressed Latino adolescent sexual health behavior. Among the reviewed interventions, most aimed to prevent or reduce STI and HIV/AIDS incidence by focusing on behavior change at two levels of the social ecological model: individual and interpersonal. Major strengths of the articles included addressing the most critical issues of sexual health; using social ecological approaches; employing different strategies to deliver sexual health messages; and employing different intervention designs in diverse geographical locations with the largest population of Latino communities. Most of the interventions targeted female adolescents, stressing the need for additional interventions that target Latino adolescent males. Conclusions Latino adolescent sexual health is a new research field with gaps that need to be addressed in reducing negative sexual health outcomes among this population. More research is needed to produce new or validate existing, age-specific, and culturally-sensitive sexual health interventions for Latino male and female adolescents. Further, this research should also be conducted in areas of the U.S. with the newest Latino migration (e.g., North Carolina).

Cultural Measures Associated with Sexual Risk Behaviors Among Latino Youth in Southern California: A Longitudinal Study

“…14,40 Our findings point to several cultural variables that may be useful to target in future sexual health interventions. Importantly, these factors should be evaluated in intervention studies to determine whether they can be manipulated, and whether they are causally related to sexual behaviors.…”

“…In a recent literature review of sexual health behavior interventions for Latino youth, Cardoza et al reported that few sexual health programs included components addressing salient cultural values. 14 …”

Acculturation, Sexual Behaviors, and Health Care Access Among Hispanic and Non-Hispanic White Adolescents and Young Adults in the United States, 2006–2010

“…Few sexual health interventions have been developed and systematically evaluated to reach Hispanic youth [10]. These findings suggest that public health efforts in STD prevention among Hispanic youth may need to be tailored for specific subgroups based on acculturation.…”

Conocimiento y fuentes de información sobre las ITS/VIH, comunicación sobre sexo y actitud hacia el uso del preservativo en adolescentes y padres/madres salvadoreños

“…Por otro lado, han participado padres/madres y sus hijos adolescentes, cuando la mayoría de los estudios que se realizan se centran en uno de los dos grupos (Cordova et al, 2014). Por último, se destaca la necesidad de intervenciones sobre salud sexual en adolescentes latinos desde una perspectiva socio-ecológica, en la que se tengan en consideración múltiples niveles de influencia (individual, familiar, comunitario, entre otros) (Cardoza, Documét, Fryer, Gold, & Butler, 2012;.…”