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Published on: March 15, 2024
Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience of Adolescent Sexual Risk and Alcohol Use
Sarah W Feldstein Ewing1, Sephira G Ryman2, Arielle S Gillman3
1Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd, DC7P, Portland, OR, 97239-3098, USA. feldstei@ohsu.edu.
Abstract:
Human adolescents engage in very high rates of unprotected sex. This behavior has a high potential for unintended, serious, and sustained health consequences including HIV/AIDS. Despite these serious health consequences, we know little about the neural and cognitive factors that influence adolescents' decision-making around sex, and their potential overlap with behaviorally co-occurring risk behaviors, including alcohol use. Thus, in this review, we evaluate the developmental neuroscience of sexual risk and alcohol use for human adolescents with an eye to relevant prevention and intervention implications.
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