Substantiating the need for primary care-based sexual health promotion interventions for ethnic minority adolescent women experiencing health disparities.

PURPOSE: Assess the context of psychological distress, violence, and substance use among African- and Mexican-American adolescent women with a history of STI, violence, or high sexual risk behavior. These adolescents experience multiple health disparities, limited access to care, and are at particularly high risk of adverse sexual health outcomes. The results will inform sexual health promotion interventions provided by advanced practice nurses in primary care-based settings for women experiencing these disparities.

METHODS

Analysis of self-report data obtained at study entry from African- and Mexican-American adolescent women (n = 559) enrolled in a randomized trial of a behavioral intervention for sexual risk reduction.

CONCLUSIONS

High levels of psychological distress, sexual risk behavior, sexually transmitted infection (STI), personal and friend/peer substance use, alcohol use, and violence were reported by women at study entry. Analyses found that STI, physical violence, and substance-using friends were twice as likely associated with personal substance use. Alcohol users were five times more likely to use other substances. Mexican Americans were three times more likely than African Americans to use substances.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Recommendation is made for integration of multicomponent sexual health promotion interventions as advanced practice nurse provider services addressing these health disparities within primary care-based settings.