The influence of pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and human immunodeficiency virus perceived susceptibility patterns on sexual risk reduction for adolescent females

Risky sexual behavior can lead to pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Our study of 300 adolescent females takes an integrative approach by incorporating these multiple outcomes to assess the influence of risk perceptions on sexual behavior by (1) identifying subgroups of perceived susceptibility to pregnancy, STDs, and HIV using cluster analysis and (2) comparing subgroups on demographics, sexual history, sexual risk behavior over time, and subsequent STD acquisition. Results demonstrated five perceived susceptibility clusters ( no susceptibility ; high HIV ; high pregnancy ; high STD ; and high multisusceptibility ) that differed in three important ways: demographic and sexual history profiles, current sexual risk behavior, and subsequent STDs. Young women in the no susceptibility cluster had the lowest sexual risk and those in the high multisusceptibility cluster had the highest sexual risk and the highest number of subsequent STDs. There were no significant changes in sexual risk over time, regardless of cluster.