SEXUALLY-TRANSMITTED DISEASE PREVENTION - ADOLESCENTS PERCEPTIONS OF POSSIBLE SIDE-EFFECTS

Forty-eight sexually active adolescents participated in an open-ended interview about the possible secondary consequences (side effects) of implementing measures to reduce the risk of contracting a sexually tra nsmitted disease (STD). These adolescents noted 134 different conseque nces, which were grouped into 15 substantive categories. When four pre vention measures (using condoms, being selective about sex partner(s), being monogamous, and abstaining from sexual activity) were analyzed, different patterns of consequences that were salient to these adolesc ents emerged. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for understanding and improving adolescent decision making about STD prevention.