OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to examine the prevalence of sexting behaviors (sexually explicit messages and/or pictures) among an at-risk sample of early adolescents as well as the associations between sexting behaviors and sexual behaviors, risk-related cognitions, and emotional regulation skills. It also aimed to determine whether differences in risk were associated with text-based versus photo-based sexts. METHODS: Seventh-grade adolescents participating in a sexual risk prevention trial for at-risk early adolescents completed a computer-based survey at baseline regarding sexting behavior (having sent sexually explicit messages and/or pictures), sexual activities, intentions to have sex, perceived approval of sexual activity, and emotional regulation skills. RESULTS: Twenty-two percent of the sample reported having sexted in the past 6 months; sexual messages were endorsed by 17% ( n = 71), sexual messages and photos by 5% ( n = 21). Pictures were endorsed significantly more often by females (χ 2 [2] = 7.33, P = .03) and Latinos (χ 2 [2] = 7.27, P = .03). Sexting of any kind was associated with higher rates of engaging in a variety of sexual behaviors, and sending photos was associated with higher rates of sexual activity than sending text messages only. This was true for a range of behaviors from touching genitals over clothes (odds ratio [OR] = 1.98, P = .03) to oral sex (OR = 2.66, P P CONCLUSIONS: Sexting behavior (both photo and text messages) was not uncommon among middle school youth and co-occurred with sexual behavior. These data suggest that phone behaviors, even flirtatious messages, may be an indicator of risk. Clinicians, parents, and health programs should discuss sexting with early adolescents.

https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/pediatrics/early/2014/01/01/peds.2013-1157.full.pdf

Sexting and Sexual Behavior in At-Risk Adolescents

Psychological factors are often neglected in HIV research, although psychological distress is common in low- to middle-income countries, such as South Africa. There is a need to deepen our understanding of the role of mental health factors in the HIV epidemic. We set out to investigate whether baseline depressive symptomatology was associated with risky sexual behaviour and relationship characteristics of men and women at baseline, as well as those found 12 months later. We used prospective cohort data from a cluster randomized controlled trial of an HIV prevention intervention in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Our subjects were 1002 female and 976 male volunteers aged 15 to 26. Logistic regression was used to model the cross-sectional and prospective associations between baseline depressive symptomatology, risky sexual behaviors and relationship characteristics. The analysis adjusted for the clustering effect, study design, intervention and several confounding variables. Prevalence of depressive symptoms was 21.1% among women and 13.6% among men. At baseline, women with depressed symptoms were more likely to report lifetime intimate partner violence (AOR = 2.56, 95% CI 1.89-3.46) and have dated an older partner (AOR = 1.37, 95% CI 1.03-1.83). A year later, baseline depressive symptomatology was associated with transactional sex (AOR = 2.60, 95% CI 1.37, 4.92) and intimate partner violence (AOR = 1.67, 95% CI 1.18-2.36) in the previous 12 months. Men with depressive symptoms were more likely to report ever having had transactional sex (AOR = 1.48, 95% CI 1.01-2.17), intimate partner violence perpetration (AOR = 1.50, 95% CI 0.98-2.28) and perpetration of rape (AOR = 1.81, 95% CI 1.14-2.87). They were less likely to report correct condom use at last sex (AOR = 0.50, 95% CI 0.32-0.78). A year later, baseline depressive symptomatology was associated with failure to use a condom at last sex among men (AOR = 0.60, 95% CI 0.40-0.89). Symptoms of depression should be considered as potential markers of increased HIV risk and this association may be causal. HIV prevention needs to encompass promotion of adolescent mental health.

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Associations between depressive symptoms, sexual behaviour and relationship characteristics: a prospective cohort study of young women and men in the Eastern Cape, South Africa.

The aim of the present meta-analysis was to investigate the associations between three types of peer norms—descriptive norms (peer sexual behaviors), injunctive norms (peer sexual attitudes), and peer pressure to have sex—and two adolescent sexual behavior outcomes (sexual activity and sexual risk behavior). Adolescent sexual activity was more strongly associated with descriptive norms (ESrfixed = .40) than with injunctive norms (ESrfixed = .22) or peer pressure (ESrfixed = .10). Compared with the sexual activity outcome, the effect size for descriptive norms (peer sexual risk behavior) for sexual risk behavior was smaller (ESrfixed = .11). Age, gender, peer type, and socio-cultural context significantly moderated these associations. Additional analyses of longitudinal studies suggested that selection effects were stronger than socialization effects. These findings offer empirical support for the conceptual distinction between three types of peer norms and hold important implications for theory, research,...

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A Meta-Analysis of the Relations Between Three Types of Peer Norms and Adolescent Sexual Behavior

463 boys and 482 girls at 10 all-age and new secondary schools in rural and urban areas of Jamaica completed a survey in 1995 on their knowledge attitudes and behavior regarding home life relationships sexual activity family planning and pregnancy. 8 single-sex focus group discussions were then conducted in February 1996 with 32 students who filled out the initial survey. Respondents were 11-14 years old of mean age 12.1 years. 63% of the boys and 6% of the girls reported having experienced sexual intercourse. The mean age at first sex was 9.4 years for boys and 10.9 years for girls. No mean difference was observed in reported sexual activity by relative socioeconomic status residential caregiver or church attendance. The boys perceive social encouragement and pressure to be sexually active while the girls known by the community to have had sex are considered to be of inferior moral standing. A sizeable proportion of both boys and girls sought information on sex and family planning from their parents. 38% of sexually experienced boys and 48% of girls reported using contraception typically a condom the first time they had sex.

Mixed messages: sexual attitudes and behavior among young adolescents in Jamaica.

Young people in Laos are more vulnerable to STIs/HIV due to their sexual risk behaviours, low perceptions of risk and their socio-cultural environments. Perceived risk of contracting STIs/HIV is crucial for the assessment of their risk regarding their actual sexual risk behaviors. Thus, the objective of this paper is to explore perceptions of risk related to STIs/HIV and identify factors associated with this perceived risk among adolescents. This was a cross sectional study of sexually experienced adolescents aged 14 to 19 years old in the Luangnamtha province. The multistage sampling techniques were used for selecting 1008 adolescents aged 14-19 years old. Of these, 483 respondents reported having had sexual experience was selected for analysis. Univariate and Logistic regression were performed. Six per cent of respondents reported ever having had anal sex. Slightly less than two thirds initiated their first sexual intercourse before age 15. Two thirds of the sexually experienced males reported two or more sexual partners during their lifetime with the mean 3.1 + 3.65 while only twelve per cent of girls reported this cumulative number of partners. Slightly more than half (57.6%) regarded themselves to have no risk at all with 17.2 per cent considered themselves to have low risk. Respondents had poor knowledge on STIs/HIV. Factors associated with risk perception of getting STIs were: being male, high level of knowledge about STIs and having had symptoms of STIs in last six months. Perceived risk of getting HIV was significantly associated with being male, having more knowledge about STIs and HIV. Adolescents in this study engaged in sexual risk behaviours, but they have low perception of risk getting STI/HIV. Socio-demographic factors, knowledge of STIs/HIV, and the level of exposure to STIs were the main determinants of the risk perception of STIs/HIV. Our finding supports the need to target adolescents in Luangnamtha province for HIV prevention intervention by addressing inaccurate perception of risk and increasing their knowledge on STIs/HIV.

https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186%2F1471-2458-13-1126.pdf

Risk perceptions of STIs/HIV and sexual risk behaviours among sexually experienced adolescents in the Northern part of Lao PDR

Objectives To determine to what degree the predominance of risky sexual behaviour during adolescence is the result of social influence, in particular that of peers, according to the perception of their attitudes and sexual behaviour.Methods Data were collected through structured and confidential individual interviews with 100 adolescents, selected randomly from among 1467 students attending one French high school.Results Although this study is of an exploratory nature, it reveals that the perception of peers is associated with a higher frequency of sexual initiation and commitment, including oral sex, but also commitment to protected sex. Sexual permissiveness of peers is associated with a higher frequency of sexual practices considered risky. The attitudes of peers with regard to contraception are associated with protective contraceptive attitudes, without a direct influence on behavioural patterns.Conclusions The sexual norms of peers influence youths' individual attitudes and behaviours. Gender differe...

The influence of peers on risky sexual behaviour during adolescence

The present study examined the relationships between work-related characteristics in internships, psychological needs satisfaction, motivation and mental health using a partial least squares path modeling. Midwifery students (N = 214; Mage = 22.8 years) from three French schools completed different questionnaires online. Results showed (1) the importance of work resources (work control and social support) as protective factors of psychological needs satisfaction; and (2) the role of competence need satisfaction through motivation in the relationships between work resources and mental health. Midwifery schools should pay more attention to these two results, and take them into account in midwifery students’ training.

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Relationships between work-related characteristics, needs satisfaction, motivation and mental health in midwifery students.

La demarche communautaire en sante permet d’agir sur les inegalites de sante, nous avons souhaite la developper aupres de populations originaires d’Afrique subsaharienne en France. Nous avons mesure les effets sur les comportements de sante sous l’angle des rapports interculturels.Cette demarche repose sur une methodologie constituee a la fois d’outils de recherche en psychologie, de protocole d’intervention en sante publique et d’un focus group sur plusieurs seances d’echanges, au cours duquel nous preterons une attention particuliere aux relations interculturelles. Il s’agit d’une demarche de sante communautaire, elle fait partie integrante de la sante publique en constituant une strategie au sein des demarches de promotion de la sante. Ce travail montre que cette demarche est un outil pertinent d’analyse de comportement, il favorise par ailleurs l’amelioration des aptitudes en promotion de la sante des participants.

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Interculturalité et santé des personnes originaires de pays d’Afrique subsaharienne en France

An interventional research study in public health was carried out with populations originating from sub-Saharan Africa living in France. With the aim of acting on health inequalities through health education, the researchers focused notably on the links between intercultural relationships and the improvement of health promotion actions.

Santé communautaire et interculturalité

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Emmanuel Rusch

Papers

The influence of peers on risky sexual behaviour during adolescence

Relationships between work-related characteristics, needs satisfaction, motivation and mental health in midwifery students.

Interculturalité et santé des personnes originaires de pays d’Afrique subsaharienne en France

Santé communautaire et interculturalité

Parental attachment and physical intimate partner violence in young adults: Mediational role of dysfunctional attitudes