Unprotected Sexual Intercourse

The vast majority of adolescents and young adults with HIV have acquired it through sexual transmission. Among young women, heterosexual transmission is the most common cause of HIV infection Several studies of male and female youths living with HIV have found that while many reduced risky behaviors after learning of their HIV infection, 40% to 70% continued to have unprotected sex some or most of the time after their HIV diagnosis, thus putting them at risk for sexually transmitted infections, unintended pregnancy, new infection with drug resistant strains of HIV, and increasing the risk of secondary HIV transmission to their uninfected sexual partners. Though there are few studies of adolescent and young adult women living with HIV, several studies of adult women with HIV have found evidence of inconsistent condom use post diagnosis, in part due to difficulty negotiating condom use with their male partners. Further, a recent qualitative study of 64 African-American adolescent and young adult women at risk for HIV found high rates of partner abuse associated with unprotected sex. More than half of the participants reported having had vaginal sex without a condom despite their desire to have their partner use one as a result of threats or actual physical and/or sexual abuse, emotional abuse/manipulation or partner removing the condom during intercourse. (Nancy Vandevanter, Gender Power Inequality and Continued Sexual Risk Behavior among Racial/Ethnic Minority Adolescent and Young Adult Women Living with HIV).

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Last date updated on September, 2024