Can Non-Sexual Risk Taking explain Contraceptive Method Choice Among High School Students in the United States?

• In Event: 3581 - Section on Sociology of Children and Youth Refereed Roundtable Session
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: Table 07. Sexual Behavior

Abstract

Contraceptive non-use and non-sexual risky behaviors among adolescents are often assumed to be analogous and brought about by very similar psychological processes. Using the National Youth Risk Behavior Survey (2013 and 2015), Latent Class Analysis, and multinomial logistic regressions, we challenge this assumption and analyze how different latent classes of non-sexual risky behaviors are associated with the use of different contraceptive choices, relative to no contraception use, for both female and male adolescents. In addition, we test and compare the performance of three competing theories of risky behaviors (self-control, strain, and developmental changes) to explain, on one hand, non-sexual risky behaviors, and on the other, contraceptive use and choice. Support for these theories is strong for non-sexual risk activities, but mixed for contraception use and choice. For both females and males, condom use is the most strongly associated with low non-sexual risk profiles, whereas prescription contraception use (with no condom) is not. Contrary to the prevalent assumption in the existing literature, our findings suggest that contraception use and choice and non-sexual risk behaviors are associated with different social processes and personal experiences, which do not necessarily overlap.

Authors

• Monica Lisette Caudillo, University of Maryland

• Shelby Nicole Hickman, University of Maryland