Personal, Relational, and Peer-Level Risk Factors for Laboratory Confirmed STD Prevalence Among Low-Income African-American Adolescent Females

The study authors sought to identify risk factors for laboratory confirmed STD prevalence among low-income African-American adolescent females living in a high-risk urban area of the southern United States.

A total of 715 African-American adolescent females were recruited from urban clinics. Data collection occurred from 2002 to 2004 and included an audio-computer assisted self-interview lasting about 60 minutes and a self-collected vaginal swab for NAAT to detect Trichomonas vaginalis, Chlamydia trachomatis, and Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Ten personal-level risk factors were assessed, in addition to eight risk factors involving either peer or relational factors.

Of the subjects, 28.8 percent tested positive for at least one STD. Six personal-level and four social-level measures achieved a bivariate screening level of significance. In the multivariate model, just three measures achieved significance: gang involvement, social support from peers, and fear of condom use negotiation.

Compared to those who had never belonged to a gang, those who had were about 4.2 times more likely (95 percent confidence interval, 2.16-9.44) to test positive. Adolescents who had higher levels of fear in regards to condom use negotiation were more likely to test positive as were adolescents who perceived higher levels of social support from their peers.

Researchers concluded that this finding "suggests and supports the utility of designing interventions for high-risk African-American adolescent females that incorporate objectives to modify the significant social influences related to STD acquisition."

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