Condom Negotiation Strategies as a Mediator of the Relationship between Self-Efficacy and Condom Use

Abstract

College students are a group at high risk of sexually transmitted infections due to inconsistent condom use and engaging in other risky sexual behaviors. This study examined whether condom use self-efficacy predicted the use of condom negotiation strategies (i.e., condom influence strategies) and whether condom influence strategies mediated the relationship between condom use self-efficacy and condom use within this population, as well as whether gender moderated the mediation model. Results showed a strong relationship between condom use self-efficacy and condom influence strategies. Additionally, condom influence strategies completely mediated the relationship between condom use self-efficacy and condom use. Although condom use self-efficacy was related to condom use, the ability to use condom negotiation strategies was the most important factor predicting condom use. The mediation model held across genders, except for the condom influence strategy withholding sex, where it was not significant for men. For women, condom use self-efficacy promoted the use of a very assertive negotiation strategy, withholding sex, and was consequently related to increased condom use. Overall, using assertive condom negotiation strategies (e.g., withholding sex and direct request) were found to be the most important aspects of increasing condom use for both women and men. Implications and suggestions for prevention programming are discussed.

Acknowledgments

We thank the students for their participation in the study, undergraduate research assistants for their work on the research team, and colleagues and graduate students for their feedback on earlier drafts of the manuscript.

Notes

¹Only three participants were over the age of 24.

Note. CUSE = condom use self-efficacy; CIS = condom influence strategy; WH = withholding sex; DR = direct request; SED = seduction; RC = relationship conceptualizing; RINF = risk information; DCP = deception.

Note. CUSE = condom use self-efficacy; CIS = condom influence strategy.

*p < .05. **p < .01. ***p < .001.

Note. CUSE = condom use self-efficacy; WH = withholding sex; DR = direct request; SED = seduction; RC = relationship conceptualizing; RINF = risk information; DCP = deception.

*p < .01. **p < .001.

Note. DV = dependent variable; CUSE = condom use self-efficacy; WH = withholding sex; DR = direct request; SED = seduction; RC = relationship conceptualizing; RINF = risk information; BCaCI = bias corrected accelerated 95% confidence interval.

Note. DV = dependent variable; CIS = condom influence strategy; CUSE = condom use self-efficacy.