Sexual Behavior, Risk Beliefs, and Assertiveness Among Adolescents

HIV risk behaviors were examined with 457 adolescents, ages 12 to 19, from four environments (community, high school, and two youth conferences). Over half reported being sexually experienced, with an average age of 13.6 for willingly engaging in first sexual intercourse. Boys reported engaging in intercourse at a significantly younger age than girls, had significantly more sex partners than girls had in the previous year, and had significantly more sex partners in their lifetimes than girls. Of the sexually experienced subgroup, 92 % reported engaging in unsafe sex behaviors in the previous year, with 75 % of reported sexual behaviors being unprotected. Analysis investigating predictors of perceived HIV risk found that sexually experienced girls who had a greater number of sex partners in the previous year; who had a higher level of sexual assertiveness; who used alcohol in the past years; and who were older when they first had intercourse, were more likely to perceive themselves to be at risk for HIV