Alcohol, Marijuana, and Risky Sex: Group Interventions With Detained Adolescents (MARS)

• Time-Line Follow-Back [ Time Frame: used at Baseline ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  A Time-Line Follow-Back is a review of a recent 30-day period of the participant's life, wherein they note which days they engaged in any of the following activities: sexual intercourse, alcohol use, marijuana use, cigarette use. Further details are also provided, such as whether a condom was used, how many alcoholic drinks were consumed, etc.
• Time-Line Follow-Back [ Time Frame: used at 3 months post-intervention ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  A Time-Line Follow-Back is a review of a recent 30-day period of the participant's life, wherein they note which days they engaged in any of the following activities: sexual intercourse, alcohol use, marijuana use, cigarette use. Further details are also provided, such as whether a condom was used, how many alcoholic drinks were consumed, etc.
• Time-Line Follow-Back [ Time Frame: used at 6 months post-intervention ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  A Time-Line Follow-Back is a review of a recent 30-day period of the participant's life, wherein they note which days they engaged in any of the following activities: sexual intercourse, alcohol use, marijuana use, cigarette use. Further details are also provided, such as whether a condom was used, how many alcoholic drinks were consumed, etc.
• Time-Line Follow-Back [ Time Frame: used at 9 months post-intervention ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  A Time-Line Follow-Back is a review of a recent 30-day period of the participant's life, wherein they note which days they engaged in any of the following activities: sexual intercourse, alcohol use, marijuana use, cigarette use. Further details are also provided, such as whether a condom was used, how many alcoholic drinks were consumed, etc.
• Time-Line Follow-Back [ Time Frame: used at 12 months post-intervention ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  A Time-Line Follow-Back is a review of a recent 30-day period of the participant's life, wherein they note which days they engaged in any of the following activities: sexual intercourse, alcohol use, marijuana use, cigarette use. Further details are also provided, such as whether a condom was used, how many alcoholic drinks were consumed, etc.

• Computer questionnaire [ Time Frame: used at Baseline ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  Questionnaire completed by participant assesses sexual activity/consequences/attitudes, alcohol use/consequences/attitudes, marijuana use/consequences/attitudes, cigarette use/consequences/attitudes, particularly within past few months
• Computer questionnaire [ Time Frame: used at 3 months post-intervention ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  Questionnaire completed by participant assesses sexual activity/consequences/attitudes, alcohol use/consequences/attitudes, marijuana use/consequences/attitudes, cigarette use/consequences/attitudes, particularly within past few months
• Computer questionnaire [ Time Frame: used at 6 months post-intervention ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  Questionnaire completed by participant assesses sexual activity/consequences/attitudes, alcohol use/consequences/attitudes, marijuana use/consequences/attitudes, cigarette use/consequences/attitudes, particularly within past few months
• Computer questionnaire [ Time Frame: used at 9 months post-intervention ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  Questionnaire completed by participant assesses sexual activity/consequences/attitudes, alcohol use/consequences/attitudes, marijuana use/consequences/attitudes, cigarette use/consequences/attitudes, particularly within past few months
• Computer questionnaire [ Time Frame: used at 12 months post-intervention ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  Questionnaire completed by participant assesses sexual activity/consequences/attitudes, alcohol use/consequences/attitudes, marijuana use/consequences/attitudes, cigarette use/consequences/attitudes, particularly within past few months

This research is studying behaviors that young people engage in that may place them at risk for contracting a sexually transmitted disease like HIV/AIDS, and what kind of educational program works best to reduce these risky behaviors.

During baseline assessment, a computer questionnaire is administered, including questions about participants' attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors regarding sexual behavior, condom use, and drug use. A saliva sample is provided as well. A "Time-Line Follow-Back" is conducted, noting on which days certain activities occurred, such as sexual intercourse, alcohol use, marijuana use, and cigarette use. A urine sample is also collected in order to test for the STD's chlamydia and gonorrhea (if results are positive, we schedule a meeting with the participant to administer medication to treat the STD).

In the second session, a 3-hour interventional health class is held with groups of same-gender participants. There are 3 different health classes (one focusing just on sex risk reduction, one focusing on sex and alcohol risk reduction, and one focusing on sex, alcohol, and marijuana risk reduction); participants are randomly assigned to one.

Participants are contacted 3 months after the intervention, 6 months after, 9 months after, and 12 months after, in order to meet. These meetings entail completing another Time-Line Follow-Back and completing another questionnaire. At the final 12 month meeting, we collect another urine sample to again test for chlamydia and gonorrhea. As before, if results are positive, we schedule a meeting with the participant to administer medical treatment.

• Risk Reduction Behavior
• Health Behavior
• Sexual Behavior
• Adolescent Behavior
• Cannabis

• Behavioral: INFORMATION-ONLY SEXUAL RISK REDUCTION (INFO-ONLY)
  Intervention includes presentation of STD facts, safe sex activities, condom demonstration, video about sexual decision making, group discussion
  Other Name: INFO-ONLY
• Behavioral: SEXUAL PLUS ALCOHOL RISK REDUCTION (SRRI+ETOH)
  Intervention includes presentation of STD/alcohol facts, safe sex activities, condom demonstration, video about alcohol/sexual decision making, group discussion
  Other Name: (SRRI+ETOH)
• Behavioral: SEXUAL + ALCOHOL + MARIJUANA RISK REDUCTION
  Intervention includes presentation of STD/alcohol/marijuana facts, safe sex activities, condom demonstration, video about alcohol/marijuana/sexual decision making, group discussion
  Other Name: (SRRI+ETOH+THC)

• Active Comparator: Info-only sexual risk reduction
  Corresponding intervention gives information only on STDs/HIV
  Intervention: Behavioral: INFORMATION-ONLY SEXUAL RISK REDUCTION (INFO-ONLY)
• Experimental: Sex plus alcohol risk reduction
  Corresponding intervention gives info focusing on sex and alcohol risk reduction only
  Intervention: Behavioral: SEXUAL PLUS ALCOHOL RISK REDUCTION (SRRI+ETOH)
• Experimental: Sex + alcohol + marijuana risk reduction
  Corresponding intervention gives info on sex, alcohol, and marijuana risk reduction
  Intervention: Behavioral: SEXUAL + ALCOHOL + MARIJUANA RISK REDUCTION

Inclusion Criteria:

• Ages 14-18
• Involved in Juvenile Justice System (living in the Detention Center when recruited)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Currently taking anti-psychotics
• Involved in similar intervention-based study (2 similar studies being conducted simultaneously by this lab)