Discordant sexual partnering - A study of high-risk adolescents in San Francisco

Background: In sexual networks, bridge members engaging in discordant partnering play key roles in maintaining and transmitting sexually transmitted infections (STIs) within a population. Goal: The goal was to characterize adolescents likely to engage in discordant sexual relationships with main and casual sex partners. Study Design: Egocentric data about adolescents and their most recent sex partner(s) collected over 6 months were analyzed with use of logistic regression. Results: History of STI, drug use, and meeting venue were significantly associated with discordant sexual partnering among high-risk adolescents. Participants with histories of high-risk behavior, e.g., hard drug use or STI, were more likely to have had a recent, dissimilar partner than those with lower-risk profiles. Particular meeting venues, such as clubs and street locations, were more likely to be associated with age-discordant, race-discordant, and drug use-discordant partnerships for females. Conclusion: Bridge members of adolescent sexual networks were more likely to have a history of STI, hard drug use, or meeting their sex partner through particular venues.