Male Adolescents' Knowledge of Sexual Partners

Kalani Brown, University of Northern Iowa
Erin Roberts, University of Northern Iowa
Sara Hagan, University of Northern Iowa
Carrie Sewick, University of Northern IowaFollow
Kory Mattoon, University of Northern Iowa
M. Shelton Smith, University of Northern IowaFollow

Document Type

Research Paper

Abstract

Knowledge of one's sexual partners is a potential factor in one's perceptions of vulnerability to sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Adolescents may believe that they know more about their partners than they actually do. Having no information may be perceived as a person's partner(s) not having risk factors for STDs. The current study investigated what a group of high-risk male adolescents actually knew about their partners and to what degree they were willing to admit that they did not know important risk information about their partners. The sample was 200 males between the ages of 13-17, primarily from a boys' training school. The data for the study are from a larger study examining methods of collecting sensitive sexual information from adolescents and the factors that may influence their distortion of responses. The data to be presented are preliminary analyses of this larger data set. Participants were asked sexual behavior information and knowledge about sexual partners via one of three methods: (1) paper and pencil, (2) personal interview, or (3) computer interview. One set of questions deals with knowledge of sexual partners regarding information about sexual orientation, intravenous (IV) drug use, and whether they had or have an STD, including AIDS. One of the responses to these questions is "I don't know because I never asked." The results showed that this particular sample had a high level of risk behaviors. A significant portion of the sample admitted not knowing risk information about their partners. Specifically, three relationships were found between high-risk behavior and knowledge about partners.

Publication Date

1999

Journal Title

Conference Proceedings: Undergraduate Social Science Research Conference

Volume

Issue

First Page

Last Page

Copyright

Language

File Format

application/pdf

Publisher

University of Northern Iowa

City

Cedar Falls, IA

Recommended Citation

Brown, Kalani; Roberts, Erin; Hagan, Sara; Sewick, Carrie; Mattoon, Kory; and Smith, M. Shelton (1999) "Male Adolescents' Knowledge of Sexual Partners," Conference Proceedings: Undergraduate Social Science Research Conference: Vol. 3: Iss. 1, Article 8.
Available at: https://scholarworks.uni.edu/csbsproceedings/vol3/iss1/8

Download

Comments?

COinS