Risky Sex: Who's Having the Most?

The number of sexually transmitted infections continues to rise throughout the adult population, despite the increase in public awareness and increased education on prophylactic use. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that there are 19 million new cases of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) each year (http://www.cdc.gov/std/stats/trends2004.htm). Studies show that increased sexual activity is clearly a cause for the rise in new cases (Finer et al, 1999), but other factors are influential as well. One study of American adults found that certain groups of people were more at-risk than others for acquiring STIs. The factors most significantly related to high-risk for infection were found to be: age, race, sex, religiosity, alcohol consumption, and marital status. This study will attempt to extend the work of Hollander (1993) in examining factors related to sexual behaviors which put people at risk for sexually transmitted infections. Ultimately young adults, blacks, men, those who did not regularly attend religious ceremony, those who drank heavily occasionally, and those who were not married were the most at-risk (Hollander, 1993). However, this evidence was gathered using General Social Survey (GSS) data from 1990. So, how have these factors changed since information was gathered for the 1990 study? It is my prediction that the percentages by which the given groups were considered at-risk have risen significantly since 1990. This study examines the relationship between individual characteristics and the likelihood of acquiring an STI among adults.

This study is necessary because of the nationwide increase in STIs. The CDC also reports an annual increase by nearly 2000 new cases since 2000 . By identifying the factors that are associated with the most high-risk behaviors, support programs and appropriate educational programs can be put in place to decrease the amount of new STI cases.

Literature Review