Copies of the study, “Self-Concept and Adolescents? Refusal of Unprotected Sex: A Test of Mediating Mechanisms Among African American Girls,” published in the September issue of Prevention Science, can be ordered online.
African-American girls with positive perceptions of themselves are able to refuse unwanted and unprotected sex more often than their peers with negative self-images, a recent Emory University study found.
The results of the study of 335 sexually active African-American adolescent girls suggest that programs aimed at preventing sexually transmitted diseases may be more effective with that group of girls if they focus on body image and self-esteem.
