Ethnic Group Differences in Adolescents' Responses to Aids

Bibliographic Data

ID11229366
AuthorsDoreen Rosenthal (corresponding author), Susan Moore (0000-0003-4771-2876), Irene Brumen
Year1990
Volume25
Issue3
Pages220-239
Publication date1990-08-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAustralian Journal of Social Issues (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0157-6321 • E-ISSN: 1839-4655
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/j.1839-4655.1990.tb00885.x
OpenAlexW2272111565
LanguageEN
Citations received26
References cited16

Adolescents of Anglo‐Celtic, Greek, Italian and Chinese descent attending a wide range of post‐secondary institutions in Victoria (mean age = 18 years) were asked about their sexual behaviours, knowledge about AIDS, and social responses to the threat of AIDS. There was evidence of relatively high levels of sexual activity, with some members of all groups engaging in risky sexual behaviour. Anglo‐Australians were more sexually active and informed about AIDS, with more equality between the sexes in these respects than the other groups. There was a distinction made between behaviours regarded as safe with regular and casual partners, but the meaning attributed to regular partnership differed. Greek‐ and Italian‐Australian young men endorsed monogamy for their regular partners but not necessarily for themselves, and Anglo‐Australians accepted a relationship of shorter duration as regular. Greater knowledge was not related to safer sexual behaviour, but discussion about a regular partner's previous sexual history correlated with more risky sexual behaviour. Overall, risk levels were not high but the casual‐regular partner distinction, together with the greater use of relatively unrealistic strategies for dealing with AIDS in association with risky behaviour in the non‐Anglo groups, gives cause for concern

Casual · Developmental psychology · Ethnic group · Human sexuality · Population · Project commissioning · Publishing · Sexual intercourse · Sociology · Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health · Demography · Gender Studies · HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions · Psychology · Sex work and related issues · Social Psychology