Racial differences in the longitudinal associations between adolescent inhalant use and young adulthood STI risk

Abstract

Background: In the US, nearly half of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) occur among 15–24-year-olds, and disproportionate rates of infections exist among blacks. Modifiable factors that drive STI transmission from adolescence into young adulthood should be identified, especially among this vulnerable population.

Methods: The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (n = 13 123) was used to examine racial differences in the prevalence of adolescent inhalant use and unadjusted and adjusted longitudinal associations between inhalant use and adulthood STI risk.

Results: Adolescent inhalant use was more commonly reported by whites than blacks. Inhalant use was an indicator of adulthood multiple partnerships among all groups except black females and was an especially strong indicator of 10 or more past year partnerships among men (white risk ratio (RR): 3.48, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.46–8.32; black RR: 4.47, 95% CI: 1.34–14.90). Adolescent inhalant use was also predictive of adulthood STI among white women and black men, with black male inhalant users having more than twice the risk of a biologically-confirmed or self-reported STI in adulthood than non-users (RR: 2.35, 95% CI: 1.29–4.25).

Conclusions: White adolescents and, more so, black male adolescents inhalant users experience disproportionate adulthood STI risk and, thus, constitute a priority population for STI prevention.

• Adolescence
• young adulthood
• inhalants
• STIs
• sexual risk behaviors

Declaration of interest

This research was supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse grant R03 DA026735 (PI: Maria Khan) and R01 DA036414 (PI: Maria Khan). This research uses data from Add Health, a program project designed by J. Richard Udry, Peter S. Bearman and Kathleen Mullan Harris, and funded by a grant P01- HD31921 from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, with cooperative funding from 17 other agencies. No conflicts of interest exist for authors.