rss
Sex Transm Infect 2006;82:354-358 doi:10.1136/sti.2006.020693
  • Sex work

Prevalence and correlates of exchanging sex for drugs or money among adolescents in the United States

  1. J M Edwards,
  2. B J Iritani,
  3. D D Hallfors
  1. Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, 1516 E Franklin Street, Suite 200, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
  1. Correspondence to:
 Jessica M Edwards
 Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, 1516 E Franklin Street, Suite 200, Chapel Hill, NC 27514-2812, USA; jedwards{at}pire.org
  • Accepted 14 June 2006
  • Published Online First 10 August 2006

Abstract

Objective: This study examined the prevalence and correlates of exchanging sex for drugs or money among a nationally representative sample of 13 294 adolescents in the United States.

Methods: Data are from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, waves I and II. The lifetime prevalence of exchanging sex was estimated and a cross sectional analysis of sociodemographic and behavioural correlates was conducted. Unadjusted odds ratios were obtained.

Results: 3.5% of adolescents had ever exchanged sex for drugs or money. Two thirds of these youths were boys. The odds of having exchanged sex were higher for youths who had used drugs, had run away from home, were depressed, and had engaged in various sexual risk behaviours. 15% of boys and 20% of girls who had exchanged sex reported they had ever been told they have HIV or another sexually transmitted infection (STI).

Conclusions: Adolescents with a history of exchanging sex have engaged in other high risk behaviours and may experience poor health outcomes, including depression and HIV/STIs. These findings should help inform strategies to prevent this high risk sexual behaviour and its potential consequences.

Footnotes

  • Published Online First 10 August 2006

  • Funding: This research was supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) (grant R01-DA14496; D Hallfors, principal investigator). NIDA had no involvement in this study design; in the collection, analysis, or interpretation of data; or in the writing of this paper or the decision to submit the paper for publication.

  • Competing interest: none.

Responses to this article

  • "the quality of raw data"
    • Karen M. Matta Oshima
    Sex Transm Infect published online November 13, 2006

This Article

  1. Abstract
  2. Full text
  3. PDF
  4. All versions of this article:
    1. sti.2006.020693v1
    2. 82/5/354 most recent

Register for free content

The full back archive is now available for all BMJ Journals. Institutional subscribers may access the entire archive as part of their subscription. Personal subscribers will also have access to all content when logged in. Non-subscribers who register have free access to all articles published before 2006 right back to volume 1 issue 1. Register here to access the free archive of all BMJ Journals.

Don't forget to sign up for content alerts so you keep up to date with all the articles as they are published.