Health Sciences Program Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Document Type

Dissertation - NSU Access Only

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Health Science

Copyright Statement

All rights reserved. This publication is intended for use solely by faculty, students, and staff of Nova Southeastern University. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, now known or later developed, including but not limited to photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author or the publisher.

Department

College of Health Care Sciences – Health Science Department

First Advisor

Moya Alfonso

Date of original Performance / Presentation

January 2024

Publication Date / Copyright Date

1-1-2024

Abstract

In the United States, millions of individuals are affected by sexual violence each year. Individuals affected by forced sex are at an increased risk of developing HIV. Adolescents and young adults are more likely to develop HIV due to their decreased condom use, increased number of sexual partners, and substance misuse. This investigator aimed to examine the prevalence of the study variables among respondents who participated in the 2019 National High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey. The goal of this dissertation study was to establish subgroups that had a decreased likelihood of having an HIV test after a forced sex incident. The Chi-square automatic interaction detector (CHAID) analysis showed there were more females, White, 16-year-old, heterosexual individuals, and individuals who did not have sexual intercourse nor drink alcohol or use drugs. The interactions between the study variables that predicted HIV testing were the number of lifetime sexual partners, age, race/ethnicity, gender, condom use, lifetime marijuana use, and forced sex. The subgroups that had a decreased likelihood of having an HIV test after a forced sex incident were individuals who used a condom during their last sexual encounter and had six or more lifetime sexual partners. This dissertation study helps future researchers provide insight into who is most in need of age-appropriate and comprehensive prevention programs by identifying the subgroups least likely to have HIV testing after a forced sex incident.

Disciplines

Medicine and Health Sciences

Keywords

adolescents; force sex; HIV testing; young adults

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