Influence of alcohol and drug use on AIDS risk behavior among youth in dropout prevention

Psychosocial functioning of adults who experienced substance use disorders as adolescents

The authors examined whether substance use disorder (SUD) before age 19 was associated with functioning at age 30. Participants (N = 773) were assessed twice during adolescence and at ages 24 and 30. Eight of 14 adult measures were associated with adolescent SUD: education, unemployment, income, risky sexual behavior, suicide attempt, coping, stressful life events, and global adjustment. After adolescent comorbidity and functioning and adult SUD were controlled for, education and unemployment remained associated, and three variables emerged as significant: being a parent (significant only for participants without adult SUD), being currently married, and having decreased life satisfaction (significant only for participants with adult SUD). Adolescent SUD is associated with numerous functioning difficulties at age 30, some of which appear to be related to recurrent SUD, comorbid adolescent disorders, or functioning problems already evident in adolescence.

Alcohol consumption, sex, and use of psychotropic substances among male Hong Kong-mainland China cross-border substance users

The study investigated the prevalence and associated factors for co-occurrence of psychotropic substance use, alcohol consumption and sexual activities among substance users. Totally, 1167 Hong Kong Chinese males aged 18-30 having used substances in mainland China in the last year were identified. Of them, 72.5% and 42.7% respectively reported having consumed alcohol and engaged in sexual activities in conjunction with the last episode of substance use. Among those using substances exclusively in mainland China, multivariate analyses showed that having friends who frequently used substances in China (OR=3.18) and being accompanied by friends in the last episode of substance use (OR=2.31) were associated with alcohol consumption; older age (OR=2.01), higher education level (OR=2.31), alcohol consumption (OR=2.72), belief that substance use increased sexual potency (OR=2.81) and use of multiple types of psychotropic substances in China (OR=2.94) were significantly associated with having sex in conjunction with the last episode of using psychotropic substances. Cross-border psychoactive substance use often co-occurs with alcohol and sex. High levels of risk are involved. Different types of preventive programs need to be integrated.

Early alcohol initiation and subsequent sexual and alcohol risk behaviors among urban youths

OBJECTIVES

We examined relations between early alcohol use and subsequent alcohol and sexual risk behaviors among urban adolescents.

METHODS

A total of 1034 African American and Hispanic youths completed surveys assessing alcohol and sexual behaviors at 7th and 10th grade. After we controlled for early sexual initiation, we examined relations between early drinking and subsequent alcohol and sexual behaviors.

RESULTS

Early drinking was associated with alcohol and sexual risks through mid-adolescence. Early drinkers were more likely to report subsequent alcohol problems, unprotected sexual intercourse, multiple partners, being drunk or high during sexual intercourse, and pregnancy. Among females, early drinking was also related to sexual initiation and recent sexual intercourse.

CONCLUSIONS

Prevention programs should address combined risks of early alcohol use and sexual intercourse, especially where levels of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections are elevated.

Ecodevelopmental HIV prevention programs for Hispanic adolescents

The purpose of this article is to illustrate how an ecodevelopmental perspective on risk and protection can be applied to the study and prevention of unsafe sexual behavior in Hispanic immigrant adolescents. Special attention is given to culturally based ecodevelopmental risk and protective processes that may influence unsafe sexual behavior among Hispanic adolescents. Principles for designing prevention programs to offset these risks are offered on the basis of an ecodevelopmental HIV prevention program that has been developed and is currently being tested.

Substance use on school property among students attending alternative high schools in the United States

We analyzed nationally representative data from the 1998 National Alternative High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey, conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to determine the prevalence of substance use on school property among alternative high school students in the United States, to describe the characteristics of students who use substances on school property, and to examine the interrelationships of substance-use behaviors. During the 30 days preceding the survey, nearly 48 percent of students used at least one substance on school property and 17 percent used more than one substance on school property. Males were more likely than females and white students were more likely than black or Hispanic students to have used substances on school property. The results of this and other studies suggest that school administrators, public health practitioners, and policy makers should work to improve strategies for reducing substance use in this heterogeneous, hard-to-reach population.

HIV/AIDS in Bangladesh: an assessment of biomedical risk factors for transmission

Behavioural risk factors for HIV/AIDS in Bangladesh were reviewed in a preceding article in this journal. Omitted from that review was a discussion of potential biomedical risk factors including: (i) an unregulated blood supply system in which blood used in transfusions is not screened for HIV and is donated primarily by professional donors: (ii) unsterile injections in non-formal and formal health-care settings; and (iii) a high prevalence in high-risk groups of other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) which may function as co-factors for HIV transmission, particularly if chronically untreated. Studies elsewhere in the world suggest that the unregulated blood supply system, in particular, poses a serious danger in terms of the spread of the HIV epidemic. While certain socio-cultural factors may be contributing to low levels of HIV in Bangladesh, the prevalence of biomedical and behavioural risk factors suggest the importance of implementing targeted cost-effective interventions now.