Factors associated with use of safer sex practices among college freshmen

Abstract

The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the relationship of knowledge of AIDS, misconceptions about AIDS, knowledge of safer sex practices, perceived susceptibility, and future time perspective to the practice of safer sex behaviors in 352 single, sexually active, college freshmen. Data were analyzed using stepwise multiple regression analysis and discriminant analysis. There were too few black females for analysis. Future time perspective explained the most variance in safer sex practices for black males. Knowledge of AIDS, perceived susceptibility, misconceptions about AIDS, knowledge of safer sex practices, and future time perspective did not explain a significant amount of variance in use of safer sex practices for either white males or females. However, perceived susceptibility and future time perspective differentiated sexually active from nonsexually active white males and females.

PIP: Findings are reported from a study conducted with the goal of exploring the relationship of knowledge on AIDS, misconceptions about AIDS, knowledge of safer sex practices, perceived susceptibility, and future time perspective to the practice of safer sex behavior among adolescents. Future time perspective refers to the empirically based developmental process in which individual perceptions of futures grow more extended, goal oriented, and realistic as they progress from childhood through adolescence. It was hypothesized that future time perspective would be associated with the use of safer sex practices among college freshman to prevent HIV infection. 352 single, sexually active college freshmen were studied. 88% were male; 69.9% Black; mean age at first sexual intercourse was 14.7 years; 83% reported coitus within the previous 3 months with a mean of 2.6 partners in the previous 6 months;l and 58% reported using a condom at last sexual intercourse. An insufficient number of Black females were available to subject to multiple regression and discriminant analysis. Future time perspective did, however, explain some variance in safer sex practices for Black males. Neither knowledge of AIDS, perceived susceptibility, misconceptions about AIDS, knowledge of safer sex practices, nor future time perspective explained a significant amount of variance in the use of safer sex practices for either White males or females, but perceived susceptibility and future time perspective differentiated sexually active from not sexually active White males and females.