Document Type
Journal Article
Publication Date
2-2012
Journal
Journal of Urban Health
Volume
Volume 89, Issue 1
Inclusive Pages
129-137
Keywords
Adolescent Behavior; Community Health Centers; Sexual Partners
Abstract
Adolescent sexual activity involving three or more people is an emerging public health concern. The goal of this exploratory, cross-sectional study was to describe the prevalence, correlates, and context of multiple-person sex among a sample of adolescent females seeking health care from an urban clinic. Because sex involving multiple people may either be consensual (i.e., “three-ways” or “group sex”) or forced (i.e., “gang rape”), we use the term “multi-person sex” (MPS) to encompass these experiences. Subjects were 328 females, ages 14–20 years old, who utilized a Boston-area community- or school-based health clinic between April and December of 2006, and completed an anonymous survey using computer-assisted self-interview software. Overall, 7.3% reported ever having had a MPS experience. Of these, 52% reported ever being pressured to engage in MPS and 43% reported ever being threatened or forced. Condom nonuse by at least one male participant in the most recent MPS was reported by 45%. Controlling for potential demographic confounders, MPS was associated with cigarette smoking (adjusted prevalence ratio [APR], 3.83; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.56–9.44), sexual initiation prior to age 15 (APR, 2.50; 95% CI, 1.04–5.98), ever being diagnosed with an STI (APR, 2.55; 95% CI, 1.08–6.03), dating violence victimization (APR, 4.43; 95% CI, 1.68–11.69), childhood sexual abuse victimization (APR, 4.30; 95% CI, 1.83–10.07) and past-month pornography exposure (APR, 4.79; 95% CI, 1.91–11.98). Additional study of the perpetration and prevention of adolescent MPS is urgently needed.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 License
APA Citation
Rothman, E. F., Decker, M. R., Miller, E., Reed, E., Raj, A., & Silverman, J. G. (2012). Multi-person sex among a sample of adolescent female urban health clinic patients. Journal of Urban Health, 89(1), 129-137.
Peer Reviewed
1
Open Access
1
Included in
Community Health and Preventive Medicine Commons, Other Public Health Commons, Public Health Education and Promotion Commons
Comments
Reproduced with permission of Springer International Publishing AG. Journal of Urban Health.