Partnership-Level Analysis of African American Women’s Risky Sexual Behavior in Main and Non-Main Partnerships

Abstract

The majority of research on risky sexual behavior in African American women has examined global associations between individual-level predictors and behavior. However, this method obscures the potentially significant impact of the specific relationship or relationship partner on risky sexual behavior. To address this gap, we conducted partnership-level analysis of risky sexual behavior among 718 African-American women recruited from HIV counseling, testing, and referral sites in four states. Using mixed model regressions, we tested relationships between condomless vaginal intercourse with men and variables drawn from the Theory of Planned Behavior, Theory of Gender and Power, and previous research specifically on sexual risks among African American women. Significant associations with risky sexual behavior indicate the need for continued emphasis on condom attitudes, condom negotiation behaviors, and overcoming partner resistance to condoms within both main and non-main partnerships when implementing interventions designed to address HIV and sexually transmitted infection risks among African American women.

Condom Use at Last Sex and Sexual Negotiation Among Young African American Women in North Carolina: Context or Personal Agency

“…This study highlights the complexities of HIV risk and condom use within main partnerships for young African American women. Condoms can prevent HIV/STI transmission when they are used consistently and correctly, and condom use is associated with women’s ability to negotiate for safer sex with their partners [ 40 ]. African American women who demonstrate a sense of self-efficacy, possess negotiating power, and engage in effective sexual communication with their partners are more likely to use a condom [ 41 – 45 ].…”