Sexual Risk Behavior Temilola Akobi Renee Fleming Marsha Griffiths Geraldine St. Jean Sajeda Sukta Lori Kay Thomas Dr. Hani Nasrallah and Dr. Steve Ritzel Ms. Carline Romain SUNY Downstate Dr. Sat Harlem Children Society

What is “Risky Sexual Behavior”? “Risky Sexual Behavior” is categorized by the following:  Unprotected sex/not using any condoms  Multiple sex partners/ Prostitution  Sex under the influence of alcohol and/ or drugs  Early sexual activity  Sex with a high risk partner

Factors that Influence Risky Sexual Behavior The factors we looked into were:  Family  Mental health  School life

School Life: Influential Factors  Peer Pressure  Drug and Alcohol abuse  Academic Performance

School Life con’t: Peer Pressure Females  Research shows that peer pressure plays a big role in a female’s choice to take part in sexual activity. Most of a female’s incline to have sex depends on her circle of friends.  If negative influences and promiscuous friends surround a girl she is more likely to engage in risky sexual behavior.  However, if positive influences and friends who are not promiscuous surround a girl, she is less likely to engage in risky sexual behavior.

Peer Pressure Con’t Males  The main influence on males to take sexual risks is competitive pressure. Relationships  In relationships often one partner is a little more anxious to have sexual experiences than the other. Often, this partner plays a more dominant and aggressive role in the relationship; this leads to the more benign partner being pressured into participating in risky sexual acts.  Statistics state that females in a relationship are more likely to be pressured into participating in risky sexual acts 8% compared to 1% with males.

School Life con’t: Drug and Alcohol Abuse  Studies show that there is a link between other risky behaviors and taking sexual risks.  Study involving sixth graders showed that those who smoked at that age were more likely to take sexual risks and engage in intercourse at an early age.  Adolescent indulge in risky behaviors, such as drug and alcohol use. Therefore, there is a greater chance that they will take sexual risks. Also, 17% between the ages of 13 to 18 who have engaged in intercourse said that they were under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

School Life con’t: Academic Performance  Students with low academic performance are more likely to engage in risky sexual behavior.

Family  Close family ties like having meals together decreases the chance of risky sexual behavior in adolescents.  Kids who are close to their parents are more likely to use condoms and decrease risky sexual behavior.  If there is adult supervision when the adolescent is home, there is a greater chance that he or she will not engage in risky sexual behavior.

Mental Health Under mental health, factors that contribute to risky sexual behaviors are:  Depression  Self Mutilation

Mental Health: Depression  Sad feelings of gloom and inadequacy  Causes Low self-esteem Anxiety (etc.)  Effects Feeling hopeless and helpless. Feelings of worthlessness. Feeling of wanting to be loved.

Mental Health: Depression con’t  Some teens turn to sexual behaviors that are risky because they want to cope with their feelings of low self-esteem and confusion.  Teens who looked to be loved have sex to fill that void of emptiness.  Sometimes teens engage in risky sexual behavior as a way to fit in with their friends and peers.

Mental Health: Depression con’t  New findings from a study supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institutes of Health, show that girls and boys who exhibit high levels of risky behaviors have similar chances of developing symptoms of depression. However, gender differences become apparent with low and moderate levels of risky behaviors with girls being significantly more likely than boys to experience symptoms of depression.

Mental Health: Self Mutilation  Researchers have come to the conclusion that teens who cut themselves are more inclined to engage in unprotected sex.  Most adolescent teens practicing self mutilation have experienced sexual abuse. To remove themselves from this trauma, many feel the need to relieve the stress by inflicting harm.

Mental Health: Self Mutilation con’t  With those teens that weren’t sexually abused comes a need to fill that void. These teens who are unable to manage their feelings, take matters into their own hands by taking risks through cutting, pinching, burning, and many other violent acts, or by being sexually active.  Links between self-cutting and sexual risk behavior stem from lack of self-restraint and inability to manage strong impulses and emotions. These may include other risks behavior such as suicide attempts, personality disorders and substance abuse.

Future Plans With the information that we have collected in these few weeks, we hope to develop a teen prevention program. This program will inform teens of risky sexual behaviors and their consequences. Before developing the program, we would like to test if our information would actually benefit the audience by having focus groups. The two focus groups will have surveys and classes. The successful or the unsuccessful outcome of the focus groups will tell us if we need to develop and change our teaching strategy for the program.

Example Survey  ___ Male ___ Female  Age _____ We want to know from you! Please write down your thoughts on the paper (doesn’t matter if they are wrong or right).  What does “risky sexual behavior” mean to you? _______________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________  Name two factors that influence “risky sexual behavior”? _______________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________  How do these factors influence “risky sexual behavior”? _______________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ Thanks for taking this survey, have a nice day =]

Statistics Charts from the CDC Websites (pdf. File)

Statistics Con’t

Statistics Con’t Charts from the CDC Websites (pdf. File)

References  Hoy, L. Carol, &infid=rssfeeds, 11 Feb &infid=rssfeeds  d, 2005 Sept,27 d  8a2.htm, 2002 Sept, a2.htm  Dillard.Katie, © Advocates For Youth, Washington D.C., 2002 Nov.   Mozes,Alan. hsn/depressedteensathigherriskforpregnancystds;_ylt=Ah s4FCRk6Rxvh2vokJ2X5eHVJRIF;_ylu=X3oDMTA0cDJlYmhv BHNlYwM, 6 July. hsn/depressedteensathigherriskforpregnancystds;_ylt=Ah s4FCRk6Rxvh2vokJ2X5eHVJRIF;_ylu=X3oDMTA0cDJlYmhv BHNlYwM

A Special Thanks to:  Mr. Hani and Mr. Steve  Ms. Carline Romain with The Arthur Ashe Academy  Ms. Pamela Holmes and Ms. Sade Bruce with The HCPI Program  Downstate Health Science Center  Dr. Sat  Harlem Children Society  Memorial Sloane-Kettering Cancer Center