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Socioeconomic Status and Self-reported Gonorrhea Among
African
American Female Adolescents.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases 2001;28(4):236-239.
Sionean C,
DiClemente RJ, Wingood GM, Crosby R, Cobb BK, Harrington K, Davies SL, Hook EW,
Oh MK.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Socioeconomic status is often used to explain race differences
in sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), yet the independent association
of socioeconomic status and STDs among adolescents has been understudied.
OBJECTIVE: To examine the associations between socioeconomic status and self-reported
gonorrhea among black female adolescents, after controlling for sexual risk
behaviors. METHODS: Interviews and surveys were completed by 522 sexually
active black adolescent females residing in low-income urban neighborhoods.
RESULTS: Adolescents whose parents were unemployed were more than twice as
likely to report a history of gonorrhea, compared with those with employed
parents. Adolescents living with two parents were less likely to report a
history of gonorrhea. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicate that
gonorrhea is associated with low socioeconomic status among black adolescent
females regardless of the level of sexual risk behaviors. Lower socioeconomic
status may be an marker for risky sociosexual environments.