Abstract
Juvenile justice involved youth are at great risk for negative outcomes of risky sexual behavior including HIV/AIDS. Given the strong connection between alcohol use and risky sex in this population, it is important to consider alcohol use in interventions designed to decrease risky sexual behavior. This paper provides support for an integrative translational model that incorporates psychosocial, neurobiological, and genetic factors to better predict alcohol-related sexual risk behavior. Specifically, we present the design, methods, and baseline data from a complex randomized control trial, Project SHARP (Sexual Health and Adolescent Risk Prevention) in order to illustrate how this broad array of factors can best predict alcohol-related sexual risk behavior. Participants were justice-involved adolescents (n=284) who completed an fMRI and self-report assessments prior to randomization to either a sexual risk plus alcohol risk reduction group intervention or to an information-only contact control group intervention. Structural equation modeling was utilized and findings supported the hypothesized relationships in the translational model. Preliminary data suggest that interventions among justice-involved adolescents targeting alcohol-related sexual risk behavior may be more effective if a biopsychosocial approach is considered.
Highlights
Adolescence is a unique developmental period of exploration and risk
The purpose of this paper is to present the design, methods, and baseline data from the SHARP (Sexual Health and Adolescent Risk Prevention) intervention trial to illustrate how neurocognitive and genetic variables can be integrated into a biopsychosocial framework to better predict alcohol-related sexual behavior
The findings indicate that higher genetic risk scores were associated with less activation on the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART) and, consistent with prior work [24], higher activation on the BART was associated with less risk behavior
Summary
Adolescence is a unique developmental period of exploration and risk. Individuals begin taking responsibility for their decisions and behavior in the context of more adult activities while the precise regions of the brain most able to weigh consequences and self-regulate in tempting situations are still developing [1].adolescents are poorly neurocognitively equipped for this exploration. Many of the behaviors “typical” to adolescent exploration can have serious negative consequences [2]. Youth under age 25 are at risk for sexually transmitted illnesses (STIs) including the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) [3]. Youth involved with the justice system are at high risk for negative outcomes as a result of risky sexual behavior [5]. In comparison to the general adolescent population, justice-involved adolescents are younger at first intercourse, have more sex partners, and lower rates of condom use [5]. These same young people remain at continued risk of HIV into adulthood [6]
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