Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Comparative Study
. 2009 Sep;38(8):1110-22.
doi: 10.1007/s10964-008-9315-6. Epub 2008 Aug 5.

Sexual behavior and perceived peer norms: comparing perinatally HIV-infected and HIV-affected youth

Jose A Bauermeister  1 , Katherine Elkington, Elizabeth Brackis-Cott, Curtis Dolezal, Claude Ann Mellins
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Sexual behavior and perceived peer norms: comparing perinatally HIV-infected and HIV-affected youth

Jose A Bauermeister et al. J Youth Adolesc. 2009 Sep.

Abstract

A large proportion of perinatally HIV-infected (PHIV) children are becoming adolescents and exploring their sexuality. This study explored the prevalence of sexual behaviors (kissing, touching, engaging in oral sex, or having vaginal/anal intercourse) in a sample of predominantly ethnic minority youths (N = 339; 54.1% Black and 30.4% Latino; 51% female; ages 9-16) perinatally exposed to HIV (61% HIV+). Using logistic regression, we tested the association between sexual behavior and HIV status, demographic characteristics, and peer influences regarding sexual behavior. PHIV youth were less likely to be sexually active. Among sexually active youth, PHIV youth were more likely to engage in touching behavior than HIV-negative youth and were less likely to engage in penetrative sex. Youths reporting that a greater number of their peers believed that sexually active boys were "cool" or "popular" were more likely to report sexual behavior. The association between sexual behavior and peers believing sexually active girls were "cool" or "popular" varied by age, gender, and HIV status. Furthermore, friends' sexual activity was associated with sexual intercourse. Prevention programs should strengthen messages addressing peer norms regarding sexuality, as well as address specific issues related to adolescent HIV.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Interaction Effects of Gender by Number of Peers who Think that Sexually Active Girls are Popular on Likelihood of Engaging in Oral Sex.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Interaction Effects of Gender by Number of Peers who Think that Sexually Active Boys are Popular on Likelihood of Engaging in Penetrative Sex.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Agostoni C, Riva E, Esposito S, Ferraris G, Principi N, Zuccotti GV. Fatty acid composition of plasma lipids in HIV-infected children: Comparison with seroreverters. Acta Paediatrica. 2000;89:172–176. - PubMed
    1. Alan Guttmacher Institute. Sex education: Needs, Programs and Policies. 2006. [Accessed on May 7, 2008]. Available at www.agi-usa.org/presentations/ed_slides.html.
    1. Albarracin D, Kumkale GT, Johnson BT. Influences of social power and normative support on condom use decisions: a research synthesis. AIDS Care. 2004;16(6):700–723. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Amirkhanian YA, Kelly JA, Kabakchieva E, Kirsanova AV, Vassileva S, Takacs J, et al. A randomized social network HIV prevention trial with young men who have sex with men in Russia and Bulgaria. AIDS. 2005;19(16):1897–1905. - PubMed
    1. Battles H, Weiner LS. From adolescence through young adulthood: Psychosocial adjustment associated with long-term survival of HIV. Journal of Adolescent Health. 2002;30:161–168. - PubMed

Publication types