Brief report: The number of sexual partners and race-related stress in African American adolescents: Preliminary findings

The current study examined the association between the number of lifetime sexual partners and race-related stress among African American 201 high school juniors and seniors at two urban high schools in the Southeastern region of the country. Students completed the Index of Race-Related Stress-Brief (IRRS-B) and the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). African American male adolescents reported higher race-related stress and a higher number of sexual partners compared to African American females. Controlling for gender and age of first intercourse, race-related stress significantly predicted the number of sexual partners for African American adolescents. Preliminary findings indicate that the role of race-related stress may prove critical in decreasing risky sexual behavior among African American adolescents.