Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), are major health problems for adolescents, who represent over 26% of new cases of STIs diagnosed annually in the United States. Half of all HIV cases in people under age 25 result from sexual transmission during adolescence. Adolescent STI prevention is a national priority for the United States, and parents, schools, and medical providers, among others, are expected to have the greatest impact on adolescent STI risk reduction in teens.

This study used secondary Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey (YRBS) data to explore the prevalence of high school students with parent, school, and medical provider sources of HIV/STI prevention information and the associations of having these HIV/STI information sources with student STI risk behaviors. Social cognitive theory constructs guided the hypothesis that parent-delivered information would have the most protective effects.

The sample consisted of 511 Latino and non-Latino Black and White traditional public and alternative high school students. Multiple regression analyses tested models predicting student age at sexual debut, intention to have sexual intercourse, substance use at most recent sexual intercourse, condom use at most recent intercourse, and lifetime number of sexual partners.

Schools were the most prevalent source of HIV/STI prevention information. Having parent sources of HIV/STI information and emotional support offered protections against early sexual debut, sexual intentions, and substance use at most recent intercourse were associated with significantly greater condom use by Latinos. Having emotional support from teachers was protective against multiple lifetime sex partners.