The Context of HIV Risk Among Drug Users and Their Sexual Partners

comprise 23 percent of all adolescents, while African-American teens will
make up 21 percent of this population (Dryfoos 1990). 1,2
One in four of the Nation’s youth and adolescents currently live in
single-parent-headed households. However, among African-American
adolescents, more than half live in female-headed households. Although
70 percent of women with teens between the ages of 14 and 17 are in the
workforce, living in a female-headed household increases the likelihood
that an adolescent lives in poverty. While 11 percent of all families live
in poverty, 46 percent of female-headed households with schoolage
children live in poverty (Dryfoos 1990).
Race and geographic place of residence are strongly associated with
poverty status. African-American and Hispanic youths are more likely to
be impoverished than white youth; 45 percent of African-American and
41 percent of Hispanic youths live in poverty, compared to 13 percent of
white youths who also live in poverty (Dryfoos 1990). Almost half of all
individuals under the age of 18 live in suburban areas, 30 percent live in
inner cities, and 23 percent live in rural areas; however, African-
American teens are more likely to live in inner cities. While 35 percent
of all white inner-city teens live in poverty, 57 percent of all African-
American inner-city teens live in poverty (Dryfoos 1990). These factors
are significant in that poverty is strongly associated with poor health
status. In general, adolescence is a time of excellent physical health, but
rates of morbidity and mortality in this age group have increased
dramatically in recent decades (Irwin 1990; Rosen et al. 1990), due
largely to many of the behaviors that are prevalent in adolescents.
Adolescent Development and Risk-Taking Behavior
Adolescence is the period between childhood and adulthood that is
marked by rapid biological, emotional, cognitive, and social change. It is
also a period of tremendous exploration and experimentation, when many
teenagers perceive themselves to be invulnerable to accidents and disease
and often engage in a wide range of risk-taking behaviors. The term
“risk-taking“ describes the patterns of behaviors initiated during
adolescence that are responsible for many negative health outcomes that
occur during this time period. Specifically, adolescent risk-taking is
defined as follows: “young people with limited or no experience engage
in behaviors with anticipation of benefit and without understanding the
immediate or long-term consequences of their actions” (Irwin 1990).
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