Behaviour Change among Hispanic Youths
Almost half of U.S. high school students are sexually active. Nearly half of the sexually active youth population started engaging in sexual activities at the age of 13. However, as the number of sexually active teenagers increases, so do the health risks associated with health risk behaviours. A 2017 U.S. survey revealed that almost half of the sexually active youth did not use a condom the last time they had sex. 14% did not use any method to prevent pregnancy, and 19% drank alcohol or used drugs before they had sex. The most shocking fact is that less than 10% of high school students have ever been tested for HIV. Therefore, teenagers engage in risky sexual behaviours without knowledge of their HIV status. In the United States, Hispanic adolescents face an elevated risk for adverse outcomes related to risky behaviour. Also, Latino high school students were less likely to be taught about HIV and other dangers related to sexual risk behaviours compared to their white peers. Hispanic teenagers need to adopt safe sexual practices since they are at more risk of suffering from risky sexual behaviours compared to other youths.
Risky sexual behaviours among Latino youths
Latinos comprise the largest ethnic minority groups in the U.S., with 31.5 % being younger than 16 (Becker et al., 2016). By 2025, Latinos will make up 28% of all American youth of ages 14-24. Thus, Latino youth make up a significant population of American youth. However, despite their prominence, Latino youth face the most significant risks associated with risky sexual behaviours. In line with Becker et al. (2016), national data indicated that the number of risky sexual behaviours declined among white and black students between 1990 and 2009; however, similar declines did not occur among Latino students. Such data raise questions as to why risky sexual behaviours are prevalent among Hispanic teenagers. Cultural values among Hispanics South California expose Latino youths between the ages 14-24 to unsafe sexual conduct related to health issues.
Risky sexual behaviour exposes one to a range of health issues. 25% of new HIV infections occur among youth aged 13-24 years, and 59 % of youth in that age are unaware of their health status (Karoly et al., 2016). As mentioned earlier, the Latino population is the largest minority group, with more than half being below 29 years. Therefore, Latino youth are at risk of HIV infection occurring from unprotected sex since they have the most significant number of young people. Due to their large number and youthfulness, Hispanic youths are twice as likely as whites to have a sexually transmitted infection, including HIV (Karoly et al., 2016). Seeing that more than half of the Latino population comprises of youths when more Latinos are infected with sexually transmitted infections, most American teenagers are placed at elevated risk of getting infected. However, if Latino youths can adapt protected sex habits, sexually transmitted diseases will reduce among the American youth in general.
Teenage pregnancy is also on the rise due to risky sexual behaviours. Teen pregnancy rates have dropped across all racial and ethnic groups in the U.S. since 1990 – but this decline has been less pronounced among Latina teens than among other racial and ethnic groups (Becker et al., 2016). Teenage pregnancies are proof that teenagers engage in unprotected sex, which places them at risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases. Furthermore, adolescent mothers have higher rates of depression and are more likely to experience post-traumatic stress disorder. Physically, girls below the age of 15 face higher risks of giving birth compared to older women. Therefore, risky sexual behaviours threaten the future generation of mothers because the majority develops complications from early childbirth.
Factors influencing risky sexual behaviours amongst Latino youth in South California
Cultural factors influence most risky sexual practices among Latino adolescents in South California. As per Cano et al. (2016), Hispanic males are guided and shaped by machismo, which implies masculinity in terms of virility and aggression. Penetrative sex and procreation are also an exhibition of masculinity. The Latino culture encourages men to believe that they cannot control their sexual impulses since it is part of their manhood. Furthermore, the belief in machismo makes it hard for men to use condoms once they have been aroused. Latino male youth tend to have multiple sexual partners to portray their masculinity. Multiple sexual partners, as well as unprotected sex, are risky sexual behaviours which place the child at risk.
Marianismo shapes female gender roles in Latino culture. Marianismo expects Latino women to emulate the Virgin Mary and abstain from sex until marriage. Therefore, young Latino ladies do not learn about sexuality at an early age compared to other girls. Although Marianismo protects young Latino girls from getting exposed to sexually transmitted infections at an early age, when the girls become sexually active, they cannot negotiate for protected sex due to lack of knowledge. Marianismo also hinders young girls from getting sexual education in schools. It is evident from the non-declining rates of teenage pregnancies among Latino adolescents.
Theoretical framework
The Health Belief Model is based on motivating people to take positive health actions by using their desire to avoid adverse health consequences. The Health Belief Model was adapted to find out why people fail to implement preventive disease strategies as well as undergo screen-testing to detect diseases at an early stage. According to Boston University School of Public Health (2018), the Health Belief Model suggests that a person’s belief in a personal threat of illness and the person’s belief in the effectiveness of the recommended health behaviour will predict the likelihood of the person to adopt the behaviour. Therefore, in line with the Health Belief Model, Latino youth can take new safe sexual practices if they feel that their current practice places their health at risk. Also, the youth can adopt reliable sexual measures if they believe in the effectiveness of the recommended health behaviour.
The Transtheoretical Model is based on the assumption that people do not change behaviours quickly and decisively. Instead, frequent behaviour change occurs continuously through a cyclical process (Boston University School of Public Health, 2018). The Transtheoretical Model takes place in six stages, where each stage requires different intervention strategies to ensure that the person moves to the next step of the model. Using the Transtheoretical Model, the Latino youth can change their risky sexual behaviours wholly and gradually adapt to a new sexual culture.
Using the Health Belief Model to Impact Behaviour Change
The Health Belief Model would be more suitable to impact risky sexual behaviour change among Hispanic youth. Latino youth are more likely to avoid risky sexual behaviour if they feel personally threatened by their behaviour. In line with a study conducted by Ar-yuwat et al. (2016), school-going children increased interest in physical activities after learning how it could affect their health. Similarly, when the Hispanic youths learn about the adverse effects risky sexual behaviours impose on their health, they will be more cautious.
Enlightening the Hispanic youth on the severity of diseases from risky sexual behaviours would make them feel personally threatened. As stated earlier, 25% of new HIV infections occur among children aged 13-24 years, and 59 % of youth in that age are unaware of their HIV status. Such statistics pose a personal threat to sexually active youths. Considering that Hispanics make up the most significant percentage of teenagers, they are at more risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections compared to other teens.
Educating Hispanic youths on the benefits of adopting safe sexual behaviours would motivate them to change. The Health Belief Model suggests that if a person perceives the recommended practice as useful, they are more likely to adopt the new method. The Hispanic youths constitute a considerable percentage of the American teenager. Therefore, if they remain healthy and energetic, they will be more likely to utilize the available resources to improve their lives. The same way Latino youths face higher risks of sexually transmitted diseases when they engage in unprotected sex is the same way they attain more career opportunities if they adopt healthy sexual behaviours. Therefore, when Latino youth understand the benefits of changing risky sexual practices, they will embrace protected sex.
Safe sexual behaviour can be integrated with Hispanic culture. Females can use Marianismo to avoid premarital sex. However, young girls should receive sex education to reinforce their abstinence. Similarly, males can use machismo to enhance their masculinity. Instead of believing that men cannot control sexual impulses, machismo should instill the belief that men can care about their sexual partners by engaging in protected sex. Machismo should also teach the idea that men are responsible creatures, a view that will prevent Hispanic youths from having multiple sexual partners. Integrating new behaviour with Hispanic culture is a crucial strategy in impacting behaviour change. Hispanic people hold their culture in high regard. Therefore, modern practice should be in line with their lifestyle.
Conclusion
Hispanic youth are at more risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections. In South California, risky sexual behaviours among Hispanic teens are influenced by their culture. The Health Belief Model would be most suitable to impact behaviour change among Latino youth in South California. When the Latino youth understand the severity of their behaviour as well as the benefits of adopting new practices, they will be more likely to adopt safe sex behaviours. The new sexual behaviours should integrate with the Hispanic culture to be more productive.
References
Ar-yuwat, S., Clark, M. J., Hunter, A., & James, K. S. (2013). Determinants of physical activity in primary school students using the health belief model. Journal of multidisciplinary healthcare, 6, 119.
Becker, D., Thing, J. P., Baezconde‐Garbanati, L., Schwartz, S. J., Soto, D. W., & Unger, J. B. (2014). Cultural measures associated with sexual risk behaviors among Latino youth in Southern California: A Longitudinal Study. Perspectives on sexual and reproductive health, 46(4), 193-201.
Boston University School of Public Health. (2018, August 29). The Health Belief Model. Retrieved July 28, 2019, from Boston University School of Public Health: http://sphweb.bumc.bu.edu/otlt/MPH-Modules/SB/BehavioralChangeTheories/BehavioralChangeTheories2.html
Boston University School of Public Health. (2018, August 29). The Transtheoretical Model Retrieved July 28, 2019, from Boston University School of Public Health: http://sphweb.bumc.bu.edu/otlt/MPH-Modules/SB/BehavioralChangeTheories/BehavioralChangeTheories6.html
Cano, M. Á., Schwartz, S. J., Castillo, L. G., Unger, J. B., Huang, S., Zamboanga, B. L., … & Lizzi, K. M. (2016). Health risk behaviors and depressive symptoms among Hispanic adolescents: Examining acculturation discrepancies and family functioning. Journal of family psychology, 30(2), 254.
Karoly, H. C., Callahan, T., Schmiege, S. J., & Feldstein Ewing, S. W. (2015). Evaluating the hispanic paradox in the context of adolescent risky sexual behavior: the role of parent monitoring. Journal of pediatric psychology, 41(4), 429-440.