African-American girls using marijuana are more likely to engage in risky sexual acts and contract sexually transmitted disease

Emory University researchers analysed marijuana use and self-reported sexual behaviour of 439 sexually active African-American females between the ages of 15 and 21. They found that girls who took marijuana had significantly higher rates of STDs than non-marijuana users (32% compared to 23%). Marijuana users also had more sex partners, riskier sex partners, including a partner just released from jail, and more recent episodes of engaging in vaginal sex. 'While adolescent African-American females remain a high-risk group for STDs, little research has examined their marijuana use, sexual behaviours and incidence of STD infection,' said study co-author Ralph DiClemente, professor of public health at Emory's Rollins School of Public Health. 'Although no differences in condom use were identified between marijuana users and non-users, results suggest that marijuana users are engaging in sexual acts with riskier partners and under riskier circumstances, and had higher rates of STDs,' DiClemente said.