Abstract
Background: The relationship between drug use and poor sexual health outcomes in Black adolescent females such as diagnoses of sexually transmitted infections, HIV, and early/unwanted pregnancy has been established in the literature. Yet, very few interventions have been successful in reducing the risk of poor sexual health outcomes and drug use for adolescent girls. Even more rare are interventions that are catered to specifically to Black girls in the United States, which is a group that has the highest rates of poorer sexual health outcomes and negative consequences associated with drug use. Therefore, this systematic review sought to identify and organize interventions that are focused on preventing HIV, STIs, early pregnancy and drug use for and include large samples of Black girls. Fifteen interventions were identified that met the review’s search criteria. Results: A total of 15 interventions that were published between 2005 and 2020 were included in the review. While all but one intervention focused on sexual health outcomes, two interventions infused drug use education for girls. Conclusion: This review provides recommendations for sexual health and drug use prevention researchers to engage in an intersectional framework and concludes with a summary of next steps to guide future research and policy work to address disparities that impact Black girls.
Highlights
Background iationsDespite advances in HIV and sexual health programming in the United States, Black adolescent girls have the highest rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), early teen pregnancy rates, and are at greatest risk of contracting HIV in adulthood compared toWhite, Hispanic, and Asian adolescent girls [1]
This study identified fifteen intervention studies that included Black adolescent girls solely or more than 50% of the participants were Black adolescent girls and addressed at least one or more of the targeted health outcomes commonly associated with sexual health, reproductive health, and drug use
The applications of intersectionality in sexual health and prevention intervention models would aim to understand the experiences at the axes of multiple oppressions, resist essentializing Black girls into a monolith, and commit to challenging the social injustices that Black girls often experience [47]. It is critical for public health interventions to provide safe spaces for Black adolescent girls to openly talk about their sexuality, drug use, and sexual risk behavior in order to reduce their risk of HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted disease (STI), early unwanted pregnancy, and drug use
Summary
Background iationsDespite advances in HIV and sexual health programming in the United States, Black adolescent girls have the highest rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), early teen pregnancy rates, and are at greatest risk of contracting HIV in adulthood compared toWhite, Hispanic, and Asian adolescent girls [1]. Despite advances in HIV and sexual health programming in the United States, Black adolescent girls have the highest rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), early teen pregnancy rates, and are at greatest risk of contracting HIV in adulthood compared to. As many new HIV and STI cases among adolescents result from sexual risk behaviors, many prevention interventions that are available focus solely on individual level behavioral change. Sexual risk behavior is defined in the literature as having many sexual partners in a specific time period, having condomless sex, and having sex while under the influence of drugs and alcohol [1]. Drug use and sexual risk behaviors have a close relationship as studies have indicated that drug use often precedes sexual risk behaviors such as drinking or using drugs while having sex [2]. Black girls have historically had lower drug use rates compared to other ethnic minority.
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