OBJECTIVE: To determine differences between African American adolescents on STD/HIV sexual-risk behaviors and precursors to these risk behaviors. METHODS: Six hundred sixty-three rural and 3313 nonrural adolescents who completed the 1999 YRBS Survey were selected. RESULTS: Rural females and males were more likely to report ever having coitus and not using a condom during last coitus. Rural females were also more likely to report early coistus, having 3 or more lifetime coital partners, and having more than 1 coital partner in the last 3 months. CONCLUSIONS: African American rural adolescents, particularly females, may have greater risk for STD/HIV infection than do their nonrural counterparts.