Substance Misuse Pattern and Sexual Risk Behavior among Street Adolescents in Central Java, Indonesia

Substance use is common among street adolescents and is strongly associated with sexual risk behavior as well as vulnerability to sexually transmitted infections. Therefore, this study was conducted to explore patterns of substance use and the association with sexual risk behavior among street adolescents in Central Java, Indonesia. Study Design: A cross-sectional study.

In this cross-sectional study, data were collected from 248 street adolescents through face-to-face interviews using a validated questionnaire. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and multivariate logistic regression in SPSS version 25.0.

More than a quarter of adolescents reported engaging in high-risk sexual behavior. Heavy smoking, alcohol use, and frequent exposure to pornography were prevalent. Alcohol use was significantly associated with sexual risk behavior, with adjusted odds ratios ranging from 3.26 to 4.38 across Models I-III. Furthermore, frequent exposure to pornography showed a strong association, with odds ratios of 3.02 (Model I) and 4.20 (Model II). These associations remained significant after adjusting for demographic and behavioral variables.

Substance use, particularly alcohol consumption, and frequent exposure to pornography were significantly associated with sexual risk behavior among street adolescents. Therefore, interventions should be developed to address the specific needs of this population. Adolescents engaged in high-risk behavior, such as substance use and sexual risk behavior, required high attention and specific treatment options.