The potential spread of HIV infection into the adolescent population underscores the need for valid measures of high-risk sexual behavior in adolescents. This article reports on the development and construct validation of two measures of high-risk sexual behavior for heterosexual adolescents. Based on evidence that diverse problem behaviors are interrelated in adolescents, it was hypothesized that specific risky sexual behaviors, such as nonuse of condoms and multiple partners, would be interrelated, and that the cluster of high-risk sexual behaviors would be correlated with measures of other adolescent problem behaviors. The interrelationships among specific sexual behaviors were consistent across three independent samples, and the composite sexual behavior measures were correlated with measures of other problem behaviors. The results provide support for the validity of a construct of high-risk sexual behavior and point to the need for interventions that target diverse risky sexual behaviors.
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