Citation
Guzzo, Karen Benjamin & Hayford, Sarah R. (2012). Race-Ethnic Differences in Sexual Health Knowledge. Race and Social Problems, 4(3-4), 158-170. PMCID: PMC3616642Abstract
Despite extensive research examining the correlates of unintended fertility, it remains a puzzle as to why racial and ethnic minorities are more likely to experience an unintended birth than non-Hispanic whites. This paper focuses on sexual literacy, a potential precursor of unintended fertility. Analyses use a unique dataset of unmarried young adults aged 18-29, the 2009 Survey of Unmarried Young Adults' Contraceptive Knowledge and Practices, to examine beliefs regarding pregnancy risks, pregnancy fatalism, and contraceptive side effects. At the bivariate level, foreign-born Hispanics hold more erroneous beliefs about the risk of pregnancy than other groups, and non-Hispanic blacks are more likely to believe in contraceptive side effects than non-Hispanic whites. Both foreign-born Hispanics and non-Hispanic blacks are more likely than non-Hispanic whites to hold a fatalistic view towards pregnancy. Race-ethnic differences are attenuated for pregnancy misperceptions and fatalism in multivariate models controlling for sources of health information, sexual and fertility experiences, and sociodemographic characteristics. However, non-Hispanic blacks remain more likely than non-Hispanic whites to believe there is a high chance of reduced sexual desire and serious health consequences when using hormonal contraceptives. These differences may contribute to race-ethnic variation in contraceptive use and, ultimately, unintended fertility.URL
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12552-012-9076-4Reference Type
Journal ArticleYear Published
2012Journal Title
Race and Social ProblemsAuthor(s)
Guzzo, Karen BenjaminHayford, Sarah R.
Article Type
RegularPMCID
PMC3616642Data Set/Study
Survey of Unmarried Young Adults’ Contraceptive Knowledge and PracticesContinent/Country
United States of AmericaState
NonspecificRace/Ethnicity
WhiteAfrican-American
Hispanic