The purpose of this study was to investigate and compare the sexual behaviors of African American, Caucasian, and Hispanic adolescent males and females. The data utilized for this study were collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) using the 2007 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS). African American adolescents and males reported higher levels of sexual activity than Caucasian and Hispanic youth and females. At the conclusion of this study, a comparison was made between the results of the 2007 and the 2009 YRBSS.
AnachebeN. E.SuttonM. Y. (2003). Racial disparities in reproductive health outcomes. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 188, 37–42.
2.
BehG.DiamondM. (2006). The failure of abstinence-only education: Minors have a right to honest talk about sex. Columbia Journal of Gender and Law, 15, 12–62.
3.
BoonstraH. (2010a). Key questions for consideration as a new federal teen pregnancy prevention initiative is implemented. Guttmacher Policy Review, 12, 2–7.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2008). Youth risk behavior surveillance–United States, 2007. Surveillance Summaries. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 57, 1–131.
6.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2010). Youth risk behavior surveillance–United States, 2009. Surveillance Summaries. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 59, 1–142
7.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2011). HIV among youth. Retrieved March 13, 2012, fromhttp://www.cdc.gov/hiv/youth/
8.
CohenJ. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
9.
DeardorffJ.TschannJ. M.FloresE.OzerE. J. (2010). Sexual values and risky sexual behaviors among Latino youths. Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 42, 23–32. doi:10.136/4202310
10.
FloresE.TschannJ.MarinB.V. (2002). Latina adolescents: Predicting intentions to have sex. Adolescence, 37, 659–679.
11.
GrangeC. M.BrubakerS. J.CorneilleM. A. (2011). Direct and indirect messages African American women receive from their familial networks about intimate relationships and sex: The intersecting influence of race, gender, and class. Journal of Family Issues, 32, 605–628. doi: 10.1177/0192513X10395360
12.
Guilamo-RamosV.DittusP.JaccardJ.GoldbergV.CasillasE.BourisA. (2006). The content and process of mother-adolescent communication about sex in Latino families. National Association of Social Workers, 30, 169–181.
GuyerL. R.KingK. A., (2007). Sexuality education among Latinas: Experiences, preferences, attitudes, and risk behavior. American Journal of Sexuality Education, 2, 25–41. doi:10.L00/J455v02n04 0.3
16.
HamiltonB. E.VenturaS. J. (2012). Birth rates for U.S. teenagers reach historic lows for all age and ethnic groups. National Center for Health Statistics Data Brief, 89, 1–7.
17.
HarperG. W.GannonC.WatsonS. E.CataniaJ. A.MargaretD. M. (2004). The role of close friends in African American adolescents dating and sexual behavior. The Journal of Sex Research, 41, 351–362.
18.
KapunguC. T.HolmbeckG. N.PaikoffR. L. (2006). Longitudinal association between parenting practices and early sexual risk behaviors among urban African American adolescents: The moderating role of gender. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 35, 787–798.
19.
KellyG. F. (2005). Re-visioning sexuality education: A challenge for the future. American Journal of Sexuality Education, 1, 5–21. doi:10.1300/J455v01n01_02
20.
KirbyD. (2002). The impact of schools and school programs upon adolescent sexual behavior. The Journal of Sex Research, 29, 27–33.
21.
KostK.HenshawS.Carlin (2012). U.S. teenage pregnancies, births and abortions, 2008: National and state trends and trends by race and ethnicity. Retrieved February 15, 2012, fromhttp://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/USTPtrends.pdf
22.
LauritsenJ. L. (1994). Explaining race and gender differences in adolescent sexual behavior. Social Forces, 72, 859–883.
23.
MillerK. E.FarrellM. P.BarnesG. M.MelnickM. J.SaboD. (2005). Gender/racial differences in jock identity, dating, and adolescent sexual risk. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 34, 123–136. doi:10.1007/s10964-005-3211-0
24.
NahomD.WellsE.GillmoreM. R.HoppeM.MorrisonD. M.ArchibaldM.GrahamL. (2001). Differences by gender and sexual experience in adolescent sexual behavior: Implication for education and HIV prevention. Journal of School Health, 71, 153–158.
25.
OsterM. M. (2008). Saying one thing and doing another: The paradox of best practices and sex education. American Journal of Sexuality Education, 3, 117–148. doi:10.1080/15546120802104302
26.
PearsonJ.MullerC.FriscoM. (2006). Parental involvement, family structure, and adolescent sexual decision making. Sociological Perspectives, 49, 67–90.
27.
RaffaelliM.GreenS. (2003). Parent-adolescent communication about sex: Retrospective reports by Latino college students. Journal of Marriage and Family, 65, 474–481.
28.
RoyerH. R.KellerM. L.HeidrichS. M. (2009). Young adolescents perception of romantic relationships and sexual activity. Sex Education, 9, 395–408.
29.
Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States. (2011). Tempest in a tea party: A summary report on sexuality education controversies school year 2010–2011. Retrieved March 14, 2012, fromwww.siecus.org/index.cfm
30.
SomersC. L.SurmanA.T. (2004). Adolescents’ preferences for source of sex education. Child Study Journal, 34, 47–59.
31.
StaussKErbyY. M.BoyasJ.BivensV. (2011). Parent–child communication related to sexual health: The contextual experiences of rural Latino parents and youth. Advances in Social Work, 12, 181–200.
32.
TaliaferroL. A.RienzoB. A.DonovanK. A. (2010). Relationships between youth sport participation and selected health risk behaviors from 1999 to 2007. Journal of School Health, 80, 399–410.
33.
TannerA.ReeceM.LegockiL.MurrayM. (2007). Informal sexuality education in schools: Student sexuality-related questions asked of public school personnel. American Journal of Sexuality Education, 2, 79–95. doi:10.1300/J455v02n02_06 79
34.
TolmaE. L.VeselyS. K.OmanR. F.AspyC. B.BeebeL.RodineS.FluhrJ. (2008). Youth assets and sexual activity: Differences based on race/ethnicity. The Health Educator, 40, 59–69.
35.
VidourekR. A.BernardA.KingK. A. (2009). Effective parent connectedness components in sexuality education interventions for African American youth: A review of the literature. American Journal of Sexuality Education, 4, 225–247. doi: 10.1080/15546120903408974
36.
YuJ. (2010). Sex education beyond school: Implications for practice and research. Sex Education, 10, 187–199. doi:10.1080/14681811003666515
37.
WoodyJ. D.RandallA. M.D’SouzaH. J. (2008). A sex education program for mothers:Effects, parent characteristics, and practice insights. American Journal of Sexuality Education, 3, 39–64.
38.
ZamboniB. D.SilverR. (2009). Family sex communication and the sexual desire, attitudes, and behavior of late adolescents. American Journal of Sexuality Education, 4, 58–78. doi: 10.1080/15546120902733257