%0 Journal Article %J J Sex Res %D 2014 %T Women's unprotected sex intentions: roles of sexual victimization, intoxication, and partner perception. %A Masters, N Tatiana %A George, William H %A Davis, Kelly Cue %A Norris, Jeanette %A Heiman, Julia R %A Jacques-Tiura, Angela J %A Gilmore, Amanda K %A Nguyen, Hong V %A Kajumulo, Kelly F %A Otto, Jacqueline M %A Stappenbeck, Cynthia A %K Adult %K Adult Survivors of Child Abuse %K Alcoholic Intoxication %K Child %K Female %K Humans %K Intention %K Sex Offenses %K Social Perception %K Unsafe Sex %K Young Adult %X

Sexually victimized women may make sexual decisions differently than nonvictimized women. This study used an eroticized scenario and laboratory alcohol administration to investigate the roles of victimization history, intoxication, and relationship context in women's perceptions of a male partner and their subsequent intentions for unprotected sex. A community sample of 436 women completed childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and adolescent/adult sexual assault (ASA) measures. After random assignment to an alcohol or control condition, participants read and projected themselves into a sexual scenario that depicted the male partner as having high or low potential for a lasting relationship. Participants rated their perceptions of his intoxication, sexually transmitted infection (STI) risk level, and anticipated reactions to insistence on condom use. They then indicated their likelihood of allowing the partner to decide how far to go sexually (abdication) and of engaging in unprotected sex. Structural equation modeling (SEM) analyses revealed that intoxication predicted greater unprotected sex likelihood indirectly via abdication. CSA and ASA predicted partner perceptions, which in turn predicted unprotected sex likelihood. These findings indicate that, compared to their nonvictimized counterparts, sexually victimized women may respond differently in sexual encounters partly as a function of their perceptions of partners' STI risk and anticipated reactions to condom insistence.

%B J Sex Res %V 51 %P 586-98 %8 2014 %G eng %N 5 %R 10.1080/00224499.2012.763086 %0 Journal Article %J Psychol Women Q %D 2013 %T How Do Alcohol and Relationship Type Affect Women's Risk Judgment of Partners with Differing Risk Histories? %A Norris, Jeanette %A Kiekel, Preston A %A Morrison, Diane M %A Davis, Kelly Cue %A George, William H %A Zawacki, Tina %A Abdallah, Devon Alisa %A Jacques-Tiura, Angela J %A Stappenbeck, Cynthia A %X

Understanding how women judge male partners' sexual risk is important to developing risk reduction programs. Applying a cognitive mediation model of sexual decision making, our study investigated effects of alcohol consumption (control, low dose, high dose) and relationship type (disrupted vs. new) on women's risk judgments of a male sexual partner in three sexual risk conditions (low, unknown, high). After random assignment to an experimental condition, 328 participants projected themselves into a story depicting a sexual interaction. The story was paused to assess primary appraisals of sexual and relationship potential and secondary appraisals of pleasure, health, and relationship concerns, followed by sexual risk judgments. In all risk conditions, alcohol and disrupted relationship increased sexual potential whereas disrupted relationship increased relationship potential in the low- and high-risk conditions. In the unknown-risk condition, women in the no-alcohol, new relationship condition had the lowest primary sexual appraisals. In all conditions, sexual appraisals predicted all secondary appraisals, but primary relationship appraisals predicted only secondary relationship appraisals. Secondary health appraisals led to increased risk judgments whereas relationship appraisals predicted lower risk judgments. Possible intervention points include helping women to re-evaluate their safety beliefs about past partners, as well as to develop behavioral strategies for decreasing hazardous drinking.

%B Psychol Women Q %V 37 %P 209-223 %8 2013 Jun 1 %G eng %N 2 %R 10.1177/0361684313481763 %0 Journal Article %J J Stud Alcohol Drugs %D 2013 %T Patterns of alcohol use and expectancies predict sexual risk taking among non-problem drinking women. %A Stappenbeck, Cynthia A %A Norris, Jeanette %A Kiekel, Preston A %A Morrison, Diane M %A George, William H %A Davis, Kelly Cue %A Zawacki, Tina %A Jacques-Tiura, Angela J %A Abdallah, Devon Alisa %K Adult %K Alcohol Drinking %K Data Collection %K Female %K Humans %K Risk-Taking %K Sexual Behavior %K Sexual Partners %K Young Adult %X

OBJECTIVE: Although alcohol consumption and sexual risk taking are associated, not everyone who drinks alcohol engages in risky sexual behavior. The purposes of the present study were to identify patterns of alcohol use behaviors and alcohol expectancies among women who are non-problem drinkers and to examine how these patterns are associated with indices of sexual risk.

METHOD: Data from 758 non-problem drinking women who have sex with men and were not in committed relationships were analyzed using latent profile analysis to determine patterns of alcohol use and alcohol-related expectancies.

RESULTS: Of the four patterns observed, three classes had similar alcohol-related expectancies but differed with respect to drinking behavior (moderate drinking, regular heavy episodes, and frequent heavy episodes), and the fourth class consisted of moderate drinkers with low expectancies (low expectancies). Results revealed that those in the frequent heavy episodes class had the greatest number of sexual partners in the past year and drank the most alcohol before having sex compared with the other women. Both the regular and frequent heavy episodes classes reported greater likelihood of having unprotected sex in the future, more positive beliefs about casual sex, and greater subjective intoxication before having sex than women in the moderate drinking or low expectancies classes. Women in the low expectancies class reported less positive beliefs about condoms than those in the moderate drinking and regular heavy episodes classes.

CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that different patterns of expectancies and drinking behaviors are associated with different indices of sexual risk taking and highlight the importance of individually tailored programs for prevention of sexually transmitted infections.

%B J Stud Alcohol Drugs %V 74 %P 223-32 %8 2013 Mar %G eng %N 2