Identifying the Social Contexts of Effective Sex Refusal

Abstract

A factorial survey was conducted to identify social situations that inhibit or promote college students' sex-refusal skills. Respondents evaluated five different situations in which sexual intercourse might occur and ranked each according to how certain the respondent would be to refuse to have sexual intercourse in that context. Regression analysis of the survey data showed that knowing the other person well, being with one's boyfriend or girlfriend, having condoms available, wanting to have sex, and both persons' wanting to have sex reduced the probability of refusal. On the other hand, having no condoms and the presence of drugs in the situation increased the probability the individual would refuse to have sex. In addition, men, individuals with previous sexual experience, and drinkers displayed diminished ability to refuse sex. However, the lack of condoms, when combined with these three respondent characteristics, acted to increase the ability to refuse sex.

Key Words:

• factorial surveys
• self-efficacy
• sex refusal
• social context

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Dan Adame

Michael Hennessy is with the Department of Sociology at Emory University in Atlanta, where Brigitte Manteuffel and Colleen Dilorio are with the Rollins School of Public Health and Dan Adame is with the Department of Health and Physical Education.