Emotional and social cognitive predictors of sexual risk indicators among adolescents in committed and noncommitted partnerships

Abstract

Introduction: Little is known about the risks of casual sexual partnerships during adolescence despite many adolescents having sex within noncommitted relationships. We applied theories of adult attachment, planned behavior, and problem behavior to examine emotional and social cognitive predictors of variability in sexual risk indicators among adolescents in committed and noncommitted partnerships. Method: Data were drawn from 801 adolescents (53.6% females; aged 14-20 years (M = 16.25)) living in a southern state in the United States. Results: Findings showed that healthy sex attitudes were related to knowing one's sexual partner longer; this association was stronger for females, particularly those in noncommitted sexual partnerships. Additionally, healthy sex attitudes predicted fewer sexual partners across adolescents, except for male adolescents in noncommitted sexual partnerships. Romantic attachment insecurity and constraining relationship beliefs had different associations with sexual risk indicators according to gender and relationship status. Conclusion: Findings contribute to the current understanding of risks associated with adolescents' sexual engagement and offer insights into adolescents' casual sexual partnerships.adolescence, constraining relationship beliefs, healthy sex attitudes, insecure romantic attachment, noncommitted sexual partnerships, sexual risk indicators | INTRODUCTIONAdolescents' sexual partnerships vary from committed to casual, and although adolescents' sexual activity is part of normative development (Harden, 2014;Manning et al., 2014;Olmstead, 2020;Tolman & McClelland, 2011), it comes with associated risks. Noncommitted partnerships can include being in one or more casual relationships that are not viewed as exclusive or serious, whereas committed partnerships typically are exclusive and monogamous (Olmstead, 2020;Whitton et al., 2013). Emotions and social cognitions associated with experiences in romantic and sexual relationships matter for the riskiness of adolescents' sexual engagement (Manning et al., 2006;McElwain et al., 2015;Saint-Eloi Cadely et al., 2020), and adolescents in noncommitted sexual relationships have been shown to have higher odds of experiencing negative mental health outcomes including depression and low self-esteem (Manning et al., 2014), as well as negative romantic experiences in young adulthood (Manning et al., 2014;S. Shulman et al., 2020). Compared with adolescents in committed romantic relationships, the risk of unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections is higher when adolescents engage in sexual activity within noncommitted partnerships (Claxton & van Dulmen, 2013; Gurvey et al., 2005). Sources vary specific to condom use. Some studies show adolescents in noncommitted partnerships are less likely to use condoms or other contraceptives during sex