Sex ratio and its effects on sexual beliefs and practices: A comparison of whites and blacks

Citation

Dorsey, Brooke Alison (2015). Sex ratio and its effects on sexual beliefs and practices: A comparison of whites and blacks.

Abstract

Nationally representative data was used to examine whether sex ratio influences individuals' sexual beliefs and practices to account for racial disparities in sexually transmitted infections (STI). Data were derived from wave II of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). Participants were aged 11 to 23 years old; analyses were limited to non-Hispanic Whites and Blacks. Descriptive analyses statistical tests were used to explore and discover bivariate associations. Logistic regression analyses were used to capture the relationship between gender, race, and sex ratio. Black participants were more likely than Whites to report having used a condom. Black participants were also more likely than White participants to report using a condom more frequently. Men were more likely than women to report using a condom more frequently. Men were also more likely than women to report that they believed their chances of getting AIDS or other STIs were high. Participants in Census tract communities with higher female to male ratios were less likely to believe their chances of getting AIDS was high. Black young adults in the United States are at elevated STI risk. Racial differences in condom use, condom use frequency, and perceived STI risk could not be explained by racial differences in the availability of partners. Factors other than sexual beliefs and practices driven by sex ratio appear to account for racial disparities, indicating the need for individual level interventions.

URL

http://libproxy.lib.unc.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/1681636548?accountid=14244

Keyword(s)

Health and environmental sciences

Notes

Reference Type

Thesis/Dissertation

Book Title

Health and Behavioral Sciences

Author(s)

Dorsey, Brooke Alison

Series Author(s)

Rooks, Ronica

Year Published

2015

Volume Number

3702069

Pages

106

Publisher

University of Colorado at Denver

City of Publication

Ann Arbor

ISSN/ISBN

9781321731477

DOI

9781321731477

Reference ID

5762