| Publication Abstract Display | | Type: Published Abstract | | Title: Determinants of high risk sex among HIV+ individuals. | | Authors: Patterson TL, Semple SJ, Shaw WS, Grant I | | Year: 1998 | | Publication: Annals of Behavioral Medicine | | Volume: 20 Issue: S Pages: S143 | | Abstract:The majority of new HIV infections are due to sexual contact with the HIV+ person. Three behaviors that may be critical in practicing safer sex are use of condoms, negotiation of safer sex practices, and disclosure of serostatus. Based on Social Cognitive theory, we developed measures of knowledge, self-efficacy, and outcome expectancies in relation to each of these three behavioral domains. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between these six social cognitive constructs and the number of HIV-negative sexual partners reported by study participants.
Participants were 139 HIV+ individuals who reported having unprotected sex with at least one HIV-negative person in the previous four months. Participants were primarily male (91%), gay or bisexual (86%), with an average age of 36.3 years, and reported having penetrative sex (unprotected or protected) with an average of 8.1 (S.D. = 17.2) HIV-negative sexual partners in the previous four months.
A conceptual model was tested using path analytic techniques. Results suggest that reduced outcome expectancies for both use of condoms and disclosure of serostatus were directly related to increased number of HIV-negative sexual partners; negotiation was not related to the outcome. Increased self-efficacy for each predictor was related to increases in each respective outcome expectancy. Knowledge for disclosure was related to self-efficacy for disclosure, but knowledge for using condoms and negotiation did not contribute to the model. No additional paths were identified.
Findings from these analyses suggest that elements of social cognitive theory are important predictors of high risk sexual behavior. Interventions which increase self efficacy and outcome expectancies for using condoms and disclosing seropositivity may be effective in reducing high risk sexual behavior. |
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