Ethnicity or race, area characteristics, and sexual partner choice among American adolescents.

The aim of this paper is to examine the association of individual demographic variables and area characteristics with the characteristics of sexual partners of American adolescents. Data for the study were drawn from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. The data indicate that the community characteristics of ethnic or racial composition of the population and region were most strongly related to the ethnicity or race of the partner. Regional differences in the ethnicity or race of partners were significant even after controlling for the ethnic or racial composition of the community. Differences in partner s age, grade, neighborhood, and school or residence were not related to school and community characteristics. In addition, the individual characteristics of age, gender, and race or ethnicity were also related to ethnicity or race of partner.