Demographic factors and sexist beliefs as predictors of condom use among Latinos in the USA

Abstract

Based on a survey conducted among 198 Latinos in Central Illinois, USA, this study shows that income, education, and language skills were important predictors of condom use. In addition, hostile and benevolent sexist ideas had a differing impact on condom use. Hostile sexist ideas, such as the belief that women try to control men, increased condom use with both main and occasional partners. Benevolent sexism, for example, the idea that women should be cherished and protected, was negatively and significantly correlated with condom use with main partner. In this sense, benevolent sexism, an apparently less harmful type of prejudice against women, seems to out them at higher risk of HIV/AIDS infection. Therefore, HIV/AIDS prevention interventions designed for Latinos should not only address the dangers of hostile sexist beliefs in reproducing negative feelings about women but also the problems associated with benevolent sexist beliefs, which seem to decrease condom use.

Keywords:

• HIV/AIDS prevention
• Latinos in the USA
• benevolent and hostile sexism
• condom use
• gender

Acknowledgements

I am grateful to Western Illinois University for its funding for this project and to my sister, Dolores, who not only gave me invaluable feedback on this manuscript but also introduced me to the fascinating world of HIV/AIDS prevention. I also want to acknowledge Tracy Weiss and Alex Villar for their invaluable help with the collection of data.

Notes

1. This term defines Latino or Hispanic as those persons (living in the USA) who indicated that their origin was Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, or some other Hispanic origin. In this paper, when we refer to samples with “higher percentages of Latinos” we include persons of Latino origin that live in their home countries (i.e., Latin America), unless otherwise indicated. The terms Hispanic and Latino are used interchangeably.