The Role of Young Adults' Pleasure Attitudes in Shaping Condom use
Higgins, J.A.; Wang, Y.
American Journal of Public Health 105(7): 1329-1332
2015
ISSN/ISBN: 1541-0048 PMID: 25973832 DOI: 10.2105/ajph.2015.302567Document Number: 627287
Condoms can help young adults protect themselves from sexually transmitted infections and unintended pregnancy. We examined young people's attitudes about whether condoms reduced pleasure and how these attitudes shape condom practices. We used a nationally representative sample of 2328 heterosexually active, unmarried 15- to 24-year-old young adults to document multivariate associations with condom nonuse at the last sexual episode. For both young men and women, pleasure-related attitudes were more strongly associated with lack of condom use than all sociodemographic or sexual history factors. Research and interventions should consistently assess and address young people's attitudes about how condoms affect pleasure.