SEXUAL RISK BEHAVIOR, KNOWLEDGE, AND CONDOM USE AMONG ADOLESCENTS IN JUVENILE DETENTION

This paper reports on sexual behavior, knowledge of sexually transmitt ed diseases (including AIDS) and condoms, and condom use among African -American and white incarcerated adolescents in Seattle, Washington. O ne hundred nineteen adolescents in a juvenile detention facility compl eted questionnaires that assessed their lifetime and recent sexual beh aviors, an objective test of disease and condom knowledge, attitudes a nd norms regarding condom use with steady and casual partners, prior c ondom use, and intentions to use condoms. The results indicate that th ese adolescents are at high risk by a number of indicators: They have a high average number of partners, have unprotected vaginal and anal s ex, and many have sex with known or suspected drug users. Their overal l knowledge of condoms and sexual transmitted diseases risks is high, but high knowledge is not correlated with positive attitudes; for one attitude measure, high knowledge is significantly correlated with nega tive attitudes toward condom use. These findings suggest that programs designed solely to increase knowledge are unlikely to effect behavior change.