Author:
Jay G. Silverman, PhD , Harvard Children's Initiative,
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Date Posted: Sat, March 03 2001, 19:17:42 PST
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copied from: http://www.internationalmedicalnews.com/
's message, "Body decor raises liver risk" on Sat, March 03 2001, 19:11:04 PST
Dating Violence and Sexual Risk Behavior among a representative sample of High School Females
Jay G. Silverman, PhD , Harvard Children's Initiative, Harvard University, 126 Mt. Auburn St, Cambridge, MA 02138 and Anita Raj, PhD, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Boston University School of Public Health, 715 Albany St, T2W, Boston, MA 02118.
Objective: To examine the relationship of dating violence history to sexual risk behaviors and pregnancy among a representative sample of high school females.Methods: Females completing the 1997 Massachusetts Youth Risk Behavior Survey who reported having sexual intercourse with male partners (N=744) were included as participants. Bivariate relationships between unsafe sexual practices/pregnancy and dating violence as well as other known risk factors were examined. Based on these analyses, multiple logistic regression models predicting sexual risk behaviors (first sex before age 15, no condom at last sex, alcohol/drug use at last sex, more than two sexual partners in past 3 months) and pregnancy were constructed.Results: Over one-third (37%, n=276) of high school females reported being physically and/or sexually hurt by a dating partner. After controlling for the effects of drug use, heavy smoking, binge drinking and suicidality, high school females who reported dating violence were 2.15x (95% CI=1.50-3.09) more likely to have had sex before age 15, 3.02x (95% CI=1.02-7.58) more likely to have had more than 2 sexual partners in the past 3 months, 1.49x (95% CI=1.8-2.06) more likely to have not used a condom at last sex, and 2.67x (95% CI=1.76-4.06) more likely to have ever been pregnant as compared to their peers. Conclusion: Violence against high school females from dating partners is extremely prevalent. A history of dating violence appears to significantly increase adolescent women’s vulnerability to high-risk sexual behaviors and pregnancy, even after controlling for the effects of other known risk factors.
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