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. 2019;14(1):1-16.
doi: 10.1080/17450128.2019.1574366. Epub 2019 Mar 1.

Mental Representation of Self in Relationships Indirectly Affects Young Black Women's Engagement in Risky Sexual Behaviors Through Psychosocial HIV/STI Risk Factors

Nicole K Gause  1 , Jennifer L Brown  2 , Ralph J DiClemente  3   4   5
Affiliations

Mental Representation of Self in Relationships Indirectly Affects Young Black Women's Engagement in Risky Sexual Behaviors Through Psychosocial HIV/STI Risk Factors

Nicole K Gause et al. Vulnerable Child Youth Stud. 2019.

Abstract

Black females are disproportionately affected by HIV/STIs, though individual-level sexual risk factors do not appear to explain racial/ethnic HIV incidence rate disparities. The current study examined the roles of attachment representations, working models of self and others, with psychosocial risk factors related to population-level sexual network features in association with risky sexual behaviors. A total of 560 Black emerging adult females (M age= 20.58, SD = 1.89) enrolling in a behavioral HIV prevention intervention trial completed the baseline assessment used in the current analyses. A series of multiple mediator models examined indirect effects of working models of self and others on sexual risk engagement through the following psychosocial HIV/STI risk factor: (a) partner communication self-efficacy, (b) fear of condom negotiation, (c) peer norms for risky sexual behavior, (d) partner trust, and (e) sex-related alcohol expectancies. Results indicated indirect effects of working model of self on: condom use with boyfriend/main partner through peer norms for risky sex (ab = .08 ,95% CI [.02, .17]); any alcohol use prior to sex through peer norms for risky sex (ab = -.06, 95% CI [-.12, -.02]); and alcohol use prior to sex through sex-related alcohol expectancies (ab = -.13, 95% CI [-.21, -.05]). Findings indicated direct associations between working model of self and all the psychosocial HIV/STI risk factors included in the mediation models. Working model of self may help identify Black females elevated risk for HIV/STI through these psychosocial risk factors.

Keywords: Black; HIV prevention; attachment; emerging adulthood; females; risky sexual behavior.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of interest statement The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Multiple mediation model predicting proportion condom use for vaginal sex (past 3 months). Standardized bootstrapped regression coefficients are provided along paths with standard errors in parentheses. *** p < .001.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Multiple mediation model predicting condom use at last sexual encounter with boyfriend/main partner (N = 462). Standardized bootstrapped regression coefficients are provided along paths with standard errors in parentheses. *** p < .001.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Multiple mediation model predicting any alcohol use prior to sexual encounters (past 3 months). Standardized bootstrapped regression coefficients are provided along paths with standard errors in parentheses. *** p < .001.
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