Race, Ethnicity, and Gender Differences in the Relationship Between Substance Use and Adolescent Sexual Behavior

Previous researchers have noted that the positive correlation between substance use and sexual behavior is stronger for white adolescents than for their black and Hispanic counterparts. Using an instrumental variables approach to control for the possible endogeneity of substance use, and data from The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, we estimate the effects of alcohol and marijuana use on the probability of being sexually active by race, ethnicity, and gender. Our results suggest that there exist potentially important racial, ethnic and gender differences in the relationship between substance use and sexual behavior. This information may be valuable for policymakers interested in reducing sexual activity among teens.