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Discounting of Condom-Protected Sex as a Measure of High Risk for Sexually Transmitted Infection Among College Students

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Abstract

The study examined sexual delay discounting, or the devaluation of condom-protected sex in the face of delay, as a risk factor for sexually transmitted infection (STI) among college students. Participants (143 females, 117 males) completed the sexual delay discounting task (Johnson & Bruner, 2012) and questionnaires of risky sexual behavior, risk perception, and knowledge. Participants exhibited steeper sexual delay discounting (above and beyond general likelihood of having unprotected sex) when partners were viewed as more desirable or less likely to have a STI, with males demonstrating greater sexual delay discounting than females across most conditions. Importantly, greater self-reported risky sexual behaviors were associated with higher rates of sexual delay discounting, but not with likelihood of using a condom in the absence of delay. These results provide support for considering sexual delay discounting, with particular emphasis on potential delays to condom use, as a risk factor for STI among college students.

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Notes

  1. Data were also analyzed by removing the problematic indifference points only, removing participant cases in which problematic indifference points were observed, and by leaving the data intact. The findings remained consistent with the results reported in this article.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge Nicole Roper and the RSF team for collecting study data.

Funding

Anahi Collado was supported by NIMH grant 5F31MH098512-02. Patrick S. Johnson was supported by NIDA grant T32DA007209. Richard Yi was supported by NIDA grant R01 DA11682. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the article.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Alvord, Baker, and Associates, LLC, 3200 Tower Oaks Blvd, Suite 200, Rockville, MD, 20852, USA

    Anahí Collado

  2. Psychology Department, California State University–Chico, Chico, CA, USA

    Patrick S. Johnson

  3. Psychology Department, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA

    Jennifer M. Loya

  4. School of Medicine, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Matthew W. Johnson

  5. Psychology Department, University of Maryland- College Park, College Park, MD, USA

    Richard Yi

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  1. Anahí Collado
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Correspondence to Anahí Collado.

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Collado, A., Johnson, P.S., Loya, J.M. et al. Discounting of Condom-Protected Sex as a Measure of High Risk for Sexually Transmitted Infection Among College Students. Arch Sex Behav 46, 2187–2195 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-016-0836-x

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