Sexual Sensation Seeking, Social Stress, and Coping Styles as Predictors of HIV/STD Risk Behaviors in Adolescents

Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess whether coping styles, social stress, and sexual sensation seeking were predictors of HIV/STD risk behaviours in adolescents. A representative sample of 4,456 female and male Spanish high school students aged 13 to 18 years participated. A stratified random sampling procedure was used. Self-report questionnaires on coping styles, social stress, sexual sensation seeking, and sexual behavior were administered to participants at their high schools. Sexual sensation seeking predicted whether sex was with a casual partner and whether drugs were used at the last sexual intercourse in males and females. Nonproductive coping was a risk factor in the use of drugs at the last sexual intercourse in males. Problemsolving coping style was related to a lower likelihood in the use of drugs at the last sexual encounter in females and to a higher likelihood of condom use at last sexual intercourse in males. Social stress increased the likelihood of having used drugs at last sexual intercourse in females. This study highlights the need to incorporate sexual sensation seeking, social stress, and coping styles in HIV/STD prevention programs aimed at adolescents.

Procrastination and cheating from secondary school to university

“…suffer from stereotype-threat effects for logic reasoning, which can affect working memory and may be one of the reasons for the above mentioned low academic performance (Régner et al, 2010); significantly increase tobacco and drug use, which has been said to cause school withdrawal, lack of attendance and course failure (O'Cathail et al, 2011); have a higher incidence of migraines compared to males, as well as the other factors triggering this condition, such as emotional stress, suffering from bright light, sleep deprivation and hunger, all of which are connected to school absenteeism as a prevalent situation (Ofovwe & Ofili, 2010); and last but not least, female students use a coping style mainly based on looking for non-productive solutions, while that of male students is mainly focussed on solving the problem (Teva, Bermúdez, & Buela-Casal, 2009). …”

A group-based HIV and sexually transmitted infections prevention intervention for lesbian, bisexual, queer and other women who have sex with women in Calgary and Toronto, Canada: study protocol for a non-randomised cohort pilot study

“…Mayer et al 44 called for researchers to explore how LGBQ persons: “lead resilient and productive lives in the face of discrimination to develop assets-based interventions that build on community support’ (p.30). Adaptive coping styles were associated with reduced HIV/STI risk behaviour among women in the USA45 and young women in Spain,46 highlighting the importance of exploring these strategies among sexually diverse women.…”

HIV-Related Sexual Risk Behavior Among African American Adolescent Girls

“…Numerous research efforts over the past several decades have uncovered a range of individual risk factors contributing to HIV infection among African American girls, including infrequent condom use, 4 multiple sexual partners, 5 substance use, 6 low self-esteem, 7 interpersonal trauma (e.g., child sexual abuse), 8 and ineffective coping styles. 9 However, epidemiologic data have highlighted that these behaviors do not occur in isolation and that HIV risk is heightened by the co-occurrence of such risk factors. 10 A gap remains in the literature as to whether there are well established patterns of co-occurrence among these risk factors in adolescent girls, which would point to potential subtypes of risk.…”