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Two-Year Trajectories of Sexual Risk Behaviors Among Drug-Using Adolescents and Emerging Adults in an Urban Community

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Abstract

Among 14–24 year-olds who used drugs and were recruited from an emergency department, we examined 2-year trajectories of sexual risk behaviors. We hypothesized that those in higher risk trajectories would have more severe substance use, mental health concerns, and dating violence involvement at baseline. Analyses identified three behavioral trajectories. Individuals in the highest risk trajectory had a more severe profile of baseline alcohol use, marijuana use, dating violence involvement, and mental health problems. Future research will examine longitudinal differences in risk factors across trajectories. Understanding risk factors for sexual risk behavior trajectories can inform the delivery and tailoring of prevention interventions.

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Acknowledgments

This study was funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (R01 #024646). The first author was supported by a career development award from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (K23 #036008) during her work on this project. Center support was provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U01CE001957). The authors wish to acknowledge statistical support from Ms. Linping Duan, FYI study staff, and the patients and staff at the Hurley Medical Center.

Funding

This study was funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (R01 #024646).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Addiction Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Erin E. Bonar, Maureen A. Walton & Frederic C. Blow

  2. Injury Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Maureen A. Walton, Quyen M. Epstein-Ngo, Marc A. Zimmerman & Rebecca M. Cunningham

  3. Institute for Research on Women & Gender, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Quyen M. Epstein-Ngo

  4. Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Quyen M. Epstein-Ngo & Rebecca M. Cunningham

  5. School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Marc A. Zimmerman & Rebecca M. Cunningham

  6. VA Ann Arbor Center for Clinical Management Research, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Frederic C. Blow

  7. Department of Emergency Medicine, Hurley Medical Center, Flint, MI, USA

    Rebecca M. Cunningham

Authors
  1. Erin E. Bonar
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  2. Maureen A. Walton
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  3. Quyen M. Epstein-Ngo
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  4. Marc A. Zimmerman
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  5. Frederic C. Blow
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  6. Rebecca M. Cunningham
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Erin E. Bonar.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. This article does not contain any studies with animals performed by any of the authors.

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All adult participants provided informed consent. All minor participants provided assent while their parents/guardians provided informed consent.

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Bonar, E.E., Walton, M.A., Epstein-Ngo, Q.M. et al. Two-Year Trajectories of Sexual Risk Behaviors Among Drug-Using Adolescents and Emerging Adults in an Urban Community. AIDS Behav 21, 2069–2078 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-016-1570-z

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