Identifying specific behaviors that put young, heterosexual couples at risk for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and HIV is crucial in developing effective prevention interventions. In the PARTNERS project, sexual behavior and important mediating variables (motivation to use condoms, perceived vulnerability, and communication about risk) are assessed at baseline, at the completion of the intervention, and three and six months after completion of the intervention condition. This paper examines participant characteristics, including specific risk factors of females and their male partners recruited into the PARTNERS project as reported in the baseline interview.
Data from over 200 young (aged 18-25), heterosexual couples indicate that the particpants engage in multiple risky sexual behaviors, and that many partners do not communicate to each other about their present and past risky behaviors. This presentation will describe the most prevalent types and patterns of risk behavior for women and men partners, and will also examine types of behaviors that incur risk that are not openly discussed among partners. The implications of the baseline data for implementing and evaluating couples-based intervention strategies will also be discussed.
Learning Objectives: 1. Identify the most common high-risk sexual behaviors reported among young, heterosexual couples. 2. Identify the high-risk behaviors about which couples rarely communicate. 3. Discuss two implications that high-risk sexual behavior data may have on HIV/STD prevention programs.
Keywords: HIV Risk Behavior, STD Prevention
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.