Official websites use. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Condom use is critical for the health of sexually active adolescents, and yet many adolescents fail to use condoms consistently.
One interpersonal factor that may be key to condom use is sexual communication between sexual partners; however, the association between communication and condom use has varied considerably in prior studies of youth. Implications for the future study of sexual communication are discussed. Keywords: adolescent sexual health, sexual communication, sexual negotiation, assertiveness, condom use, safer sex. Consistent condom use among sexually active adolescents and young adults is of paramount importance for sexual health.
While new prevention options and strategies for curbing HIV have advanced, such as pre-exposure prophylaxis Baeten et al. Increasingly, one factor that has been associated with safer sexual behavior is sexual communication, defined as the ability to discuss and negotiate safer sex with a partner Noar, The link between communication and condom use is understandable given the interpersonal nature of sexual activity and the need for sexual partners β particularly girls β to negotiate safer sexual practices if they are to occur Amaro, Further, compared to adults, adolescents are in a developmental period during which immaturity in the prefrontal cortex contributes to heightened impulsivity and a lower likelihood to plan ahead and consider the future consequences of risky behavior Steinberg, , For these reasons, it is perhaps no surprise that many adolescents β more than half in some studies DiClemente, ; Ryan et al.
Sexual communication has been increasingly recognized in health behavior theories that explain condom use behavior for review, see Noar, Historically, condom use has pushed the limits of behavioral theories because, unlike most health behaviors that are enacted by individuals, condom use requires the cooperation of two people. A meta-analysis of over 40 psychosocial predictors of condom use found that sexual communication between partners was the most robust indicator of condom use Sheeran et al.
Specifically, the strongest relationship between communication and condom use was found in studies that specifically assessed communication about condoms as well as those that assessed communication behaviors, rather than communication self-efficacy or intentions to communicate. While the results in largely adult populations are promising, prior reviews have included only a small subset of studies of adolescents and these studies were not analyzed separately; thus, it is not clear if sexual communication is equally as likely β or perhaps more or less likely β to influence condom use among youth.
