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Psychosocial Correlates of Health-Protective Sexual Communication with New Sexual Partners: The National AIDS Behavioral Survey

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Abstract

We examined health-protective sexual communication (HPSC) with new sexual partners, in a national sample of heterosexuals. Psychosocial factors associated with HPSC were examined with the AIDS Risk Reduction Model (ARRM). Higher HPSC was related to high self-efficacy with respect to sexual activity and to condom use, and to being sexually assertive. Greater comfort with condoms, experience with HIV-preventive behaviors, and commitment to use condoms were also associated with higher HPSC, indicating that there is a strong health component in safer sex talk. Significant interactions among gender, ethnicity, and psychosocial variables underscore the importance of the cultural context in shaping HIV-preventive behaviors. Prevention efforts should address general sexual self-efficacy and encourage HPSC by developing group-specific strategies, such as increasing condom self-efficacy for women, increasing sexual comfort for Latinas, as well as emphasizing the empowering and cooperative aspect of HPSC for all.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, California

    Ariane van der Straten

  2. Center for AIDS Prevention Studies (CAPS), San Francisco, California

    Ariane van der Straten & Joseph A. Catania

  3. Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California

    Joseph A. Catania & Lance Pollack

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  1. Ariane van der Straten
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  2. Joseph A. Catania
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  3. Lance Pollack
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van der Straten, A., Catania, J.A. & Pollack, L. Psychosocial Correlates of Health-Protective Sexual Communication with New Sexual Partners: The National AIDS Behavioral Survey. AIDS Behav 2, 213–227 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022137817863

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