Condom Use Beliefs Differ According to Regulatory Focus: A Mixed-Methods Study in Portugal and Spain

Rodrigues, David L.; Carvalho, Ana Catarina; Prada, Marília; Garrido, Margarida; Balzarini, Rhonda Nicole; Visser, Richard O. de; Lopes, Diniz

doi:10.1080/00224499.2023.2181305

Cited by 4 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 117 publications

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“…Similarly, the study of Grubb [5] found higher rates of barrier method use among adolescents whose sexual partners preferred to use barrier methods and who were able to openly communicate their desire to use them. However, some authors report that barrier method use decreases when the partner is perceived as safe, i.e., at low risk of transmitting STIs [63]. In this regard, the participants stated that, in some relationships, one partner manipulates the other to avoid using protective methods.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adolescents’ Perceptions of Sexuality: A Qualitative Study

Ventura-Miranda,

Alcaraz-Córdoba,

Alcaraz-Córdoba

et al. 2023

Healthcare

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Adolescents have a greater risk of acquiring sexually transmitted infections (STIs), which is a serious public health problem. Education is an effective strategy to improve adolescent sexual health outcomes. However, Spanish adolescents have a lack of sex education. The aim of this study was to explore the perceptions and opinions of a sample of adolescents regarding sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Photovoice is a research method that uses the search for images of everyday events with the intention of bringing about social change. An exploratory, descriptive design was used with a qualitative approach based on the Photovoice methodology. The sample consisted of 26 high school and baccalaureate students of Almería (Spain) selected through a convenience sample. The age of the participants ranged from 14 to 17 years, with a mean age of 15.31 years. Two main categories were extracted from the data analysis: ‘Towards a culture of preventing STIs and promoting healthy sexual practices’ and ‘Adolescents’ needs from their perspective’. In conclusion, numerous changes take place at the biopsychosocial level during adolescence that imply a need to explore their sexuality in depth. A lack of knowledge and a carefree attitude during sexual initiation can increase the risk of developing STIs. The study’s adolescents stated that they do not have adequate sex education to acquire sufficient knowledge about sexuality and sexual health, and therefore, request that the traditional format be modified in order to achieve better results.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adolescents’ Perceptions of Sexuality: A Qualitative Study

Ventura-Miranda,

Alcaraz-Córdoba,

Alcaraz-Córdoba

et al. 2023

Healthcare

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“…We argued that such practices should be examined from a regulatory focus perspective, as fundamental motives for safety or pleasure are crucial for risk perception and risk-taking behaviors (Bryant & Dunford, 2008;Klein & Cerully, 2007;Whiting et al, 2019). There is evidence that regulatory focus differences shape how people perceive sexual health risks and pursue their sexual goals (e.g., Evans-Paulson et al, 2022;Rodrigues et al, 2020Rodrigues et al, , 2022, their STI knowledge and sexual health practices , and their condom beliefs (Rodrigues, Carvalho, al., 2023). Building upon this evidence, we examined whether being focused on prevention or promotion also determined condom use intentions depending on condom availability delays and STI risk cues.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Our study offers important insights that can help foster consistent condom use and consequently lower STI rates. Despite several efforts to change the narrative attached to condom use (e.g., development of erectogenic condoms; Gallo et al, 2022), there is still a prevalent belief that condoms are barriers not only against infections and unwanted pregnancies but also limit sexual pleasure and intimacy (Rodrigues, Carvalho, et al, 2023).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Only recently have researchers started to extend this framework to the sexual health domain (Evans-Paulson et al, 2022;Rodrigues et al, 2022Rodrigues et al, , 2022Rodrigues, Carvalho, et al, 2023). Findings have shown that people more focused on prevention tend to be more aware of sexual health threats and use condoms more often with casual partners (i.e., they are more focused on preventing diseases), whereas people more focused on promotion tend to be less likely to use condoms and experience greater sexual satisfaction with casual partners (i.e., they are more focused on promoting pleasurable sexual experiences).…”

Section: Regulatory Focus and Healthmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Focusing on Safety or Pleasure Determine Condom Use Intentions Differently Depending on Condom Availability and STI Risk

Rodrigues

2023

International Journal of Sexual Health

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“…The survey could be presented either in Portuguese or Spanish. More details about the procedure are reported elsewhere (Rodrigues, Carvalho, et al, 2023;. A copy of the survey in each language, and the respective list of measures in English, are available (https:// osf.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Safety and Pleasure Motives Determine Perceived Risks and Rewards in Casual Sex

Rodrigues,

Carvalho,

Balzarini

et al. 2024

Sexuality & Culture

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People differ in their predispositions to value safety maintenance (i.e., disease prevention regulatory focus) or pleasure pursuit (i.e., pleasure promotion regulatory focus). Extending recent research, results of a cross-sectional study with participants living in Portugal and Spain (N = 770) showed that these individual differences resulted in a trade-off between potential health risks and pleasure rewards in sexual practices and experiences with casual partners. Specifically, people who were more focused on promotion (vs. prevention) reported riskier and more unrestricted sexual activities (more frequent condomless sex activities; more casual partners) and experienced more positive sexual outcomes (more sexual satisfaction; more positive and less negative affect related to condomless sex). This pattern of results remained the same after controlling for country differences, suggesting the robustness of our findings across different cultural contexts. Our study shows the complexity of sexual decisions and align with our reasoning that prevention-focused people tend to prioritize health safety, whereas promotion-focused people tend to prioritize sexual pleasure. Theoretical and applied implications are discussed.

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Condom Use Beliefs Differ According to Regulatory Focus: A Mixed-Methods Study in Portugal and Spain

Cited by 4 publications

References 117 publications

Adolescents’ Perceptions of Sexuality: A Qualitative Study

Adolescents’ Perceptions of Sexuality: A Qualitative Study

Focusing on Safety or Pleasure Determine Condom Use Intentions Differently Depending on Condom Availability and STI Risk

Safety and Pleasure Motives Determine Perceived Risks and Rewards in Casual Sex

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