GENDER, ETHNIC, AND ACCULTURATION DIFFERENCES IN SEXUAL BEHAVIORS - HISPANIC AND NON-HISPANIC WHITE ADULTS

Hispanics have an increased prevalence of sexually transmitted disease s (STDs). To describe the prevalence of sexual behaviors of Hispanics, we conducted surveys of randomly selected residents in census tract a reas and members of a health maintenance organization (n = 2,596). His panic men were more likely to start sexual intercourse at an earlier a ge and reported lower rates of condom use than non-Hispanic White men. Hispanic women reported having a higher number of children, less use of barrier contraception,fewer lifetime sexual partners, and fewer STD s than non-Hispanic White women. Less-acculturated Hispanic men report ed a younger age for their first sexual intercourse and a lower freque ncy of condom use than did more highly acculturated Hispanic men. High ly acculturated Hispanic women reported a higher number of lifetime se xual partners than did less-acculturated women. Gender differences med iated by marital status, age, and education, were more significantly a ssociated with sexual behavior than ethnicity.