The purpose of this study was to identify incarcerated adolescents’ perceptions about the reasons for abstinence, safer sex and unsafe sexual behavior. Fifty male and eight female volunteers participated, whose average age was 15.9 years. They completed a questionnaire focusing on: (a) their expectations about the likely outcome of a scenario in which a couple had the opportunity for sexual intercourse and (b) their perceptions of reasons for the scenario to end in abstinence, intercourse with a condom, or unprotected intercourse. The majority of respondents (75%) expected the scenario to end in unprotected intercourse. Content analysis of their perceptions of reasons for various endings suggested three issues that are important influences on sexual behavior: (a) pleasure, (b) avoidance of fear, (c) availability of a condom. Intervention strategies based on awareness of these three issues are discussed.
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