Immigration and Sexual Partner Risk Among Latino A

Authors: A M Minnis I Doherty E vanDommelenGonzalez H Cheng R OteroSabogal N S Padian

Publish Date: 2010/05/04

Volume: 12, Issue: 6, Pages: 900-908

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Abstract

Sexual partner characteristics increase risk for adverse reproductive health outcomes Evidence is limited regarding whether choice of sexual partners among Latino adolescents changes with US acculturation/adaptation We used generalized estimating equations to assess the associations between immigrant generation recent immigrant 15 immigrated prior to adolescence 2nd and 3rd and sexual partner risk in a prospective cohort study of 411 Latino adolescents aged 14–19 We examined three measures of partner risk and mediating effects of family influence familism and parental monitoring The odds of reporting a partner with frequent substance use increased with increasing immigrant generation odds ratios OR reference = recent immigrants 23 34 and 56 as did having a partner who was in a gang/incarcerated OR reference = recent immigrants 24 36 and 57 Though the odds of having highrisk partners decreased with higher parental monitoring neither family influence measure mediated these relationships Findings underscore the need for a prevention focus on partner choice with attention to increased risk with increasing US generationThe authors would like to thank Carla Rodas for field oversight of the Mission Teen Health Project and members of the study team for tremendous contributions to data collection We are grateful to numerous community partners who supported the study and influenced its design and implementation In particular we would like to thank Mission Neighborhood Centers Columbia Park Unit of the San Francisco Boys and Girls Club Jamestown Community Center New Generations Health Center Real Alternatives Program Community Collaborative and members of the Youth Advisory Group to the Mission Community Council In addition Dr Coco Auerswald Associate Professor of Pediatrics at UCSF served as a core member of our research team Finally we are grateful to the Department of Obstetrics Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences at the University of California San Francisco for their management and support of this study principal manuscript authors were formerly at UCSF Funding for this research was provided by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases R01AI48749 and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development K01 HD047434 at the National Institutes of Health and the Universitywide AIDS Research Program University of California M00SF056 057A

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