Teens Who Repeatedly Cut Themselves Have Greater HIV Risk

Teens who repeatedly cut themselves are more likely to engage in risky sexual behavior, increasing their chances of possibly contracting HIV, according to a study in the June issue of the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics.

Researchers from the Bradley Hasbro Children's Research Center in Providence, R.I. report that frequent self-cutters -- teens who have cut themselves more than three times -- used condoms less consistently, were more likely to share cutting instruments, and had less self-restraint. The study is the first to examine whether these teens engage in the same level of risk behaviors as those who've only experimented with cutting once or twice.

Source: Science Daily
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080612070410.htm

For more information about cutting, click on the following article title:

When Pain is All You Have - Why Teenagers Cut Themselves