Sex-role attitudes as predictors of contraceptive use among unmarried university students
Fox, G.L.
Sex Roles 3(3): 265-283
1977
ISSN/ISBN: 0360-0025 PMID: 12335339 DOI: 10.1007/bf00287615Document Number: 435724
A survey of the literature led to 3 propositions: 1) the most usual response of young women when deciding whether to use a contraceptive is to avoid the decision by not using any or by leaving it to the male, 2) contraceptive inertia is reinforced by the joint operation of external locus of control and traditional sex-role attitudes, and 3) contraceptive use is facilitated by nontraditional sex-role attitudes in conjunction with a positive sense of personal control. A stratified random sample of 1009 male and female students at a large Midwestern university provided survey research data. Findings indicate a majority of students do not use contraceptive protection at 1st intercourse but increase usage. 22% of the females and 31% of the males did not use contraceptives at their last sexual encounter. The results suggest that nontraditional sex-role-related attitudes in conjunction with an internal locus of control orientation are predictive of effective contraception for women respondents. Neither variable alone or jointly explained contraceptive behavior of men respondents.
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