Age of First Arrest, Sex, and Drug Use as Correlates of Adult Risk Behaviors Among Rural Women in Jails

Abstract

Incarcerated women frequently report initiation of substance use and sexual encounters at an early age, and often engage in high-risk drug use and sexual behaviors as adults. This study examined the timing of first sex, drug use, and arrest, as well as their unique influences on specific risky behaviors in adulthood, among a high-risk population of rural women recruited from jails. Ages of initiation were all positively and significantly correlated, and each independently increased the likelihood of several risky behaviors in adulthood. Implications are discussed for screening, intervention, and treatment targeting high-risk women and girls in rural areas, particularly within criminal justice settings.

Keywords:

• risk behaviors
• rural
• incarcerated
• women
• initiation

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

We recognize the cooperation and partnership with the Kentucky Department of Corrections and the local jails, including the Laurel County Detention Center, Kentucky River Regional Jail, and the Leslie County Detention Center.

Additional information

Funding

Research reported in this article was supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health under Award 1R01-DA033866. Funding was also provided by the University of Kentucky Office of Undergraduate Research. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health or the University of Kentucky.