CHOICES-TEEN: Efficacy of a Bundled Risk Reduction Intervention for Juvenile Justice Females

Baylor University, Waco TX

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

Project Summary Abstract Latina adolescents involved in the juvenile justice system experience heightened sexual health disparities compared with non-involved Latina adolescent females. Sexual health risks of concern include unplanned pregnancy, less frequent condom use and higher HIV/STI risk, and the interaction of these risks with substance use. Given the rapid national growth of Latinx adolescents in the U.S., addressing these health disparities is critical. Currently, there is a dearth of gender sensitive, culturally informed interventions targeting risky sexual behavior among Latina adolescents who are overrepresented in the juvenile justice system. Better understanding of the intersection of substance use, sexual risk behaviors, and interpersonal violence for this population is critical to inform future prevention research. This proposed supplement is a natural extension of the CHOICES-Teen parent grant (R01 DA050670), as it explores the intersection of primary study outcome variables (substance-exposed pregnancy risk, pregnancy risk, and HIV/STI risk) and interpersonal dating violence data currently being collected by the parent grant and proposes qualitative interviews with study participants after completion of the study at 9 months. Findings from this proposed research will help inform future culturally adapted prevention interventions for Latina women by elucidating a better understanding of interpersonal dating violence in younger adolescent women, as well as the ways such violence may be related to substance use, sexual health risk behavior, the processes of change and other TTM variables, and how these relationships may differ by race/ethnicity.