Human immunodeficiency virus risk behavior among white and Asian/Pacific Islander high school students in the United States: does culture make a difference?
Hou, S.I.; Basen-Engquist, K.
Journal of Adolescent Health Official Publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine 20(1): 68-74
1997
ISSN/ISBN: 1054-139X PMID: 9007662 DOI: 10.1016/s1054-139x(96)00323-0Document Number: 533462
A total of 5385 white and 408 Asian/Pacific Islander (API) high school students were studied. The national school-based Youth Risk Behavior Survey was used. After controlling for academic performance, white students were 2.3-fold more likely to communicate about AIDS/HIV, 2.7-fold more likely to be sexually experienced and 2.5-fold more likely to use alcohol or other drugs before sex than APIs. There were no significant differences between these 2 groups in the age of initiating sex, the number of lifetime partners, the proportion currently sexually active (having had sex during the past 3 months) and condom use behaviour. Although APIs had a low rate of AIDS/HIV, they had behaviours at as high a risk as white students once they became sexually experienced, and they had an even greater number of recent partners if they were currently sexually active. Use of alcohol or other drugs before sex and condom use was significantly related.