Self-Esteem Enhancing Reasons for Having Sex and the Sexual Behaviors of African American Adolescents

• NCJ Number: 218636
• Journal: Journal of Youth and Adolescence Volume: 36 Issue: 4 Dated: May 2007 Pages: 453-464
• Author(s): Melissa L. Robinson; Grayson N. Holmbeck; Roberta Paikoff
• Date Published: May 2007
• Length: 12 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study drew on a longitudinal study of adolescent HIV risk exposure to explore the self-reported reasons American-American adolescents may participate in risky sexual behavior.

Abstract

Findings indicated that African-American male adolescents had sex earlier and had a higher number of lifetime partners than female African-American adolescents. However, females were less likely to use condoms consistently. This finding is consistent with previous research that suggests female African-Americans are at greater risk for contracting HIV than African-American men. Contrary to the hypothesis, males were more likely to report self-esteem enhancing reasons for having sex than females and those who did were more likely to report having a greater number of sexual partners over their lifetime. The authors suggest that an element of power may dictate a woman’s decision not to use a male condom because if the male refuses, she has lost some power. As a result, many women may be putting themselves at high risk for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. The authors suggest that intervention programs should target pre-teen, high-risk adolescents and should focus on effective condom use, improved communications, self-esteem, and discussions about power in sexual relationships. Future research should utilize different types of research methodologies to determine why adolescents engage in risky sexual behaviors. Data were drawn from Wave 3 of the Chicago HIV Prevention and Adolescent Mental Health Project (CHAMP), which is a longitudinal study of adolescent HIV risk exposure among a sample of African-American adolescents living in impoverished neighborhoods in Chicago. Wave 3 data included information about 65 male and 81 female participants and their families who completed extensive interviews that involved some family interaction tasks. Variables under analysis for this study include HIV risk behavior and reasons for having sex. Multiple regression models using 4 different pathways were constructed to analyze the data. Figures, tables, references