Sexual orientation, sexual abuse, and HIV-risk behaviors among adolescents in the Pacific Northwest.

• Autores: Elizabeth Saewyc, Carol L. Skay, Kimberly Richens, Elizabeth Reis, Colleen S. Poon, Aileen Murphy
• Localización: American journal of public health, ISSN 0090-0036, Vol. 96, Nº. 6, 2006, págs. 1104-1110
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • Objectives: We explored HIV risk behaviors, sexual orientation, and sexual abuse among 5 school-based cohorts in Seattle, Wash (SEA95 and SEA99:N=7477 and N=6590), and British Columbia (BC92, BC98, and BC03 [weighted]: N=239975, N=281576, and N=265132).; Methods: An HIV risk scale of 7 items assessed risky sexual behaviors and injection drug use. Self-identified sexual orientation included heterosexual, bisexual, gay/lesbian, and, in British Columbia only, mostly heterosexual. Analyses of covariance were conducted separately by gender and were adjusted for age and sexual abuse when comparing means.; Results: Gay/lesbian and bisexual adolescents had higher mean age-adjusted risk scores compared with heterosexual and mostly heterosexual adolescents. After we controlled for sexual abuse history, mean scores were 2 to 4 times higher among abused students than among nonabused students in each sexual orientation group. Age/abuse-adjusted models better explained the variance in risk scores (R(2)=0.10-0.31), but sexual orientation remained an independent predictor.; Conclusion: Sexual minority adolescents who attended school reported higher HIV risk behaviors, and higher prevalence of sexual victimization may partially explain these risks.;