Marijuana Use and Unprotected Sexual Intercourse Among Adolescent Detainees

Abstract

This study examines the association between marijuana use and unprotected sexual intercourse among adolescent detainees. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews in a juvenile court setting as the detainees waited to be released to their parents' custody. Analyses that controlled for relevant covariates indicated that the association between marijuana use and unprotected sexual intercourse in a specific event was moderated by the respondents'age at the time of the event. Marijuana use was associated with a higher occurrence of unprotected sexual intercourse for detainees who were relatively young when the event occurred. These findings provide meaningful information that can be used to inform future research as well as interventions with adolescent detainees.