Attention deficit hyperactivity symptoms and risky sexual behavior in young adult women
Open accessAbstract
Background: This study was undertaken to assess the association between adult attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms and high-risk sexual behavior. Methods: This cross-sectional study interviewed 462 low-income women aged 18–30 years. We used the 18-item Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS-v1.1) Symptom Checklist to assess ADHD symptoms. Risky sexual behaviors included sex before 15 years of age, risky sex partners in lifetime, number of sex partners in the last 12 months, condom use in the last 12 months, alcohol use before sex in the last 12 months, traded sex in lifetime, and diagnosed with sexually transmitted infection (STI) in lifetime. Results: Mean ADHD symptom score was 19.8 (SD±12.9), and summary index of all risky sexual behavior was 1.77 (SD±1.37). Using unadjusted odds ratios (OR), women who endorsed more ADHD symptoms reported engaging in more risky sexual behaviors of all types. However, when multivariable logistic regression was applied adjusting for various sociodemographic covariates, the adjusted ORs remained significant for having risky sex partners and having ≥3 sex partners in the prior 12 months. We observed some differences in risky sexual behavior between two domains of ADHD. Conclusions: The ADHD symptom score appears to be associated with some risky sexual behaviors and deserves further attention. A brief ADHD screening can identify this high-risk group for timely evaluation and safe sex counseling.
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ADHD is diagnosed more often in males, but females with ADHD become notably impaired and develop comorbid disorders starting in adolescence.
“Although Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder shows (ADHD) male predominance, females are significantly impaired and exhibit additional comorbid disorders during adolescence.”
From Reproductive steroids and ADHD symptoms across the menstrual cycle (2018) · cites this paper as Hosain, et al., 2012
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- Authors
- Hosain, G. M. M., Berenson, A. B., Tennen, H., Bauer, L. O., & Wu, Z. H.
- Affiliations
- The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (US)
- University of Connecticut (US)
- Corresponding author
- Wu, Z. Helen
- Venue
- Journal of Women's Health
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2012-04
- Volume
- 21
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 463-468
- ISSN
- 1059-7115 (ISSN-L)
- 1540-9996
- 1931-843X
- PMC
- PMC3321673
- OpenAlex
- W2093871602
- Cited by
- 83
- References
- 25
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 3.18
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Journal of Women s Health (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (P30AA019358)
- National Institute on Drug Abuse (DA021814, DA020053, R01 DA020053, K01DA021814)
- National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (T32HD055163, K24HD043659)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Sexuality, Behavior, and Technology
- Keywords
- attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, ADHD symptoms, sexual risk behavior, young adult women, low-income women, multiple sexual partners, sexually transmitted infections, condom use, alcohol use before sex, sex work, ADHD screening
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity, Female, Humans, Risk-Taking, Sexual Behavior
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