Sexual risk during initial months in US among Latina young adults

ABSTRACT

Latina young adults are disproportionately at risk for sexually transmitted infections (e.g., HIV). However, little is known about social and cultural factors contributing to sexual health disparities among young adult Latina recent immigrants. The present study examined social and cultural factors contributing to sexual risk behaviors among 530 Latina women (ages 18–23) who immigrated to Miami-Dade County, Florida, approximately 12 months before assessment. At the cultural/macrosystemic level, participants who reported more sexual risk behaviors tended to (a) be less acculturated; (b) use less positive religious coping; (c) endorse to a greater extent the marianismo belief that Latinas should be the pillar of the family; and (d) endorse less of the marianismo belief that Latinas should be virtuous and chaste (i.e., abstain from premarital sex). As for individual-level factors, participants who reported more sexual risk behaviors also indicated (e) older age, (f) being married/partnered, (g) being employed, (h) living in the US longer, and (i) drinking more alcohol. Findings indicate areas for HIV/STI prevention for this underserved population.

KEYWORDS:

• Recent Latina immigrants
• sexual risk behaviors
• social and cultural determinants

Acknowledgements

The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities or the National Institutes of Health.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

ORCID

Melissa M. Ertl http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1022-1777

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) Award P20MD002288.