W35. INVESTIGATION OF RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN INTERNALIZING, EXTERNALIZING, AND RISKY SEXUAL BEHAVIOR: A GENETICALLY-INFORMATIVE SAMPLE

Abstract

Risky sexual behavior (RSB) has been linked to substance abuse, externalizing problems, and internalizing problems, with previous research documenting significant phenotypic and genetic correlations between RSB and these other factors of interest. Potential sex differences in those relationships have also been examined previously; the authors’ prior research suggested a stronger correlation between RSB and internalizing problems alone in females. The current study uses a Colorado twin sample in addition to biometrical methods to expand on previous findings to investigate whether the association between RSB and internalizing problems persists when externalizing problems are accounted for, and whether unique genetic influences underlie the associations between the three latent factors. We also investigate whether sex differences in the three-variable latent model replicate those demonstrated previously. Specifically, we hypothesize that the association between RSB and internalizing problems will be stronger in females than in males, whereas the association between RSB and externalizing problems will be stronger in males. Final results pending. Our results could have important implications both to the understanding of RSB as a construct, as well as to the public health sector. Additional discussion pending.