SEXUAL-BEHAVIOR AND CONDOM USE AMONG URBAN, LOW-INCOME, AFRICAN-AMERICAN AND HISPANIC YOUTH

Low income, urban, African-American, and Hispanic youth have been iden tified as a group for which there is concern about the spread of HIV. Using data from a household probability sample of 1,435 minority youth aged 15 to 24 in Detroit, this paper evaluates levels of sexual activ ity, condom use, and reasons for condom use and non-use. Comparisons w ith national samples of minority youth indicated that Detroit low-inco me youth have similar patterns of sexual behavior to national samples, although males and African-American females began their sexual experi ences earlier and were less likely to have used condoms or other prote ction from pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) at first intercourse, Recent levels of condom use also left many Detroit youth unprotected from STDs. Less than half used a condom at last intercours e in the last year with nonmarital partners that they ''knew well.'' I n addition, condom use with partners that they ''did not know well'' w as very low for Hispanic youth: Among those who had at least one casua l partner in the last year, only 30% to 33% had ever used a condom wit h that partner. Analysis of reasons for use indicate that both pregnan cy prevention and disease prevention were important motivations for co ndom use. However, many youth did not use condoms for reasons such as unavailability of condoms or unplanned sex.