Alcohol, Marijuana, and Risky Sex: Group Interventions With Detained Adolescents

Not Applicable

Completed

Conditions: Cannabis
Risk Reduction Behavior
Health Behavior
Adolescent Behavior
Sexual Behavior

Brief Summary: This research is studying behaviors that young people engage in that may place them at risk for contracting a sexually transmitted disease like HIV/AIDS, and what kind of educational program works best to reduce these risky behaviors.

Detailed Description: During baseline assessment, a computer questionnaire is administered, including questions about participants' attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors regarding sexual behavior, condom use, and drug use. A saliva sample is provided as well. A "Time-Line Follow-Back" is conducted, noting on which days certain activities occurred, such as sexual intercourse, alcohol use, marijuana use, and cigarette use. A urine sample is also collected in order to test for the STD's chlamydia and gonorrhea (if results are positive, we schedule a meeting with the participant to administer medication to treat the STD).

In the second session, a 3-hour interventional health class is held with groups of same-gender participants. There are 3 different health classes (one focusing just on sex risk reduction, one focusing on sex and alcohol risk reduction, and one focusing on sex, alcohol, and marijuana risk reduction); participants are randomly assigned to one.

Participants are contacted 3 months after the intervention, 6 months after, 9 months after, and 12 months after, in order to meet. These meetings entail completing another Time-Line Follow-Back and completing another questionnaire. At the final 12 month meeting, we collect another urine sample to again test for chlamydia and gonorrhea. As before, if results are positive, we schedule a meeting with the participant to administer medical treatment.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria

Ages 14-18
Involved in Juvenile Justice System (living in the Detention Center when recruited)

Exclusion Criteria

Currently taking anti-psychotics
Involved in similar intervention-based study (2 similar studies being conducted simultaneously by this lab)

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Number of Participants With Risky Sexual Behavior Measured for 1 Year	1 year

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method

Locations (1): Juvenile Detention Center (JDC)
🇺🇸
Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States
Juvenile Detention Center (JDC)
🇺🇸Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States