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Rosen B, Dauria E, Shumway M, Smith JD, Koinis-Mitchell D, Tolou-Shams M. Association of pregnancy attitudes and intentions with sexual activity and psychiatric symptoms in justice-involved youth. CHILDREN AND YOUTH SERVICES REVIEW 2022; 138:106510. [PMID: 38107676 PMCID: PMC10723635 DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2022.106510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Context With over one-third of detained girls experiencing teenage pregnancy, it is critical that the juvenile justice system better addresses the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs of youth. Although pregnancy attitudes and intentions (PAI) are associated with pregnancy outcomes among the general adolescent population, this relationship has not been examined among justice-involved youth. Methods Participants were drawn from a longitudinal study characterizing trajectories of behavioral and reproductive health and recidivism among newly justice-involved youth in a Northeast family court. Baseline and four-month follow-up data from 288 justice-involved youth (JIY) were analyzed to characterize PAI; examine associations between pregnancy intentions and unprotected sexual activity (i.e., no hormonal, intrauterine, or barrier protection against pregnancy); and explore the relationship between pregnancy intentions and psychiatric symptoms. Results At baseline, 39% of JIY youth were sexually active, 44% of these youth reported inconsistent condom use and 14% had not used birth control at last sexual intercourse. Nearly half of sexually active youth reported some intent around pregnancy and those with any pregnancy intentions were more likely to report depression, low self-esteem, substance use, and trauma history. Pregnancy intentions at baseline predicted higher rates of unprotected sexual activity at four months (OR: 16.9, CI = 2.48-115.7). Conclusions This study highlights the importance of developing and implementing more comprehensive SRH assessments and brief interventions for youth entering the justice system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brooke Rosen
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, 401 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Box 356560, Seattle, WA 98195, United States
| | - Emily Dauria
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, 401 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States
- Department of Community and Behavioral Health Sciences, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, 1001 Potrero Avenue, Building 5, Room 7M18, San Francisco, CA, 94110, United States
| | - Martha Shumway
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, 401 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States
| | - Jaime Dumoit Smith
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, 401 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, 1001 Potrero Avenue, Building 20, Suite 2100, San Francisco, CA 94110, United States
| | - Daphne Koinis-Mitchell
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Rhode Island Hospital Department of Psychiatry, 1 Hoppin St. Coro West, 2nd Floor, Providence, RI 02903, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Marina Tolou-Shams
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, 401 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, 1001 Potrero Avenue, Building 5, Room 7M18, San Francisco, CA, 94110, United States
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