Associations Between a Dopamine D4 Receptor Gene, Alcohol Use, and Sexual Behaviors Among Female Adolescent African Americans

Young female adolescent African Americans are disproportionately impacted by HIV infection. There is a clear need to understand factors associated with increased HIV-risk behaviors among this vulnerable population. We sought to explore the association between a dopamine D4 receptor gene (DRD4), a genetic marker associated with natural variations in rewarding behaviors, and self-reported alcohol use and sexual risk behaviors, while controlling for other known correlates of risk-taking such as impulsivity, sensation-seeking, and peer norms, among a group of high-risk female adolescent African Americans to evaluate whether this biological factor enhances understanding of the patterns of risk in this vulnerable group.