Number of Sexual Partners and Relationship Status Are Associated With Unprotected Sex Across Emerging Adulthood.
Sex with multiple partners, consecutively or concurrently, is a risk factor for contracting sexually transmitted infections (STIs) as multiple partner-partner contacts present increased opportunity for transmission. It is unclear, however, if individuals who tend to have more partners also use prote...
| Published in: | Archives of Sexual Behavior Vol. 46; no. 2; pp. 419 - 433 |
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
| Format: | journal article |
| Published: |
Springer Nature
Feb2017
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | View this record in EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ssf&AN=121001764&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: ssf uiTerm: 121001764 longDbName: Social Sciences Full Text (H.W. Wilson) uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: jinfo: jid: 00040002 ASX jtl: Archives of Sexual Behavior issn: 00040002 maglogo: N pubinfo: dt: Feb2017 vid: 46 iid: 2 pid: 237 pub: Springer Nature artinfo: ui: 121001764 10.1007/s10508-016-0692-8 ppf: 419 ppct: 14 formats: fmt: @attributes: type: P size: 755KB tig: atl: Number of Sexual Partners and Relationship Status Are Associated With Unprotected Sex Across Emerging Adulthood. aug: au: Ashenhurst, James Wilhite, Emily Harden, K. Fromme, Kim Ashenhurst, James R Wilhite, Emily R Harden, K Paige affil: Department of Psychology , The University of Texas at Austin , 1 University Station, A8000 Austin 78712 USA Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station, A8000, Austin, TX, 78712, USA su: Sexual partners Sexual intercourse Young adults' sexual behavior Unsafe sex Sexually transmitted diseases -- Social aspects sug: subj: Sexual partners Sexual intercourse Young adults' sexual behavior Unsafe sex Sexually transmitted diseases -- Social aspects keyword: Emerging adults Multiple sex partners Sexual risk behavior Trajectory analysis Unprotected sex Emerging adults Multiple sex partners Sexual risk behavior Trajectory analysis Unprotected sex ab: Sex with multiple partners, consecutively or concurrently, is a risk factor for contracting sexually transmitted infections (STIs) as multiple partner-partner contacts present increased opportunity for transmission. It is unclear, however, if individuals who tend to have more partners also use protection less reliably than those with sexual histories of fewer partners. Longitudinal data can elucidate whether an individual shows a consistent pattern of sex with multiple partners. We used latent class growth analyses to examine emerging adult survey data (N = 2244) spanning 10 waves of assessment across 6 years. We identified three trajectory classes described with respect to number of partners as (a) Multiple, (b) Single, and (c) Rare. Trajectory group, relationship status, and their interactions were tested as predictors of using protection against STIs and pregnancy at each wave. The Multiple Partners class had the greatest odds ratio of reporting sex without protection against STIs and pregnancy, followed by the Single and Rare classes. Exclusive relationship status was a risk factor for unprotected sex at earlier waves, but a protective factor at most later waves. There was no significant interaction between relationship status and trajectory class in predicting use of protection. The Multiple Partners class reported more permissive values on sex and an elevated proportion of homosexual behavior. This group overlaps with an already identified at-risk population, men who have sex with men. Potential mechanisms explaining the increased risk for sex without protection, including communication, risk assessment, and co-occurring risk behaviors are discussed as targets for intervention. pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: journal article src: R language: English refInfo: copyright: @attributes: flag: N holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
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