Risky Sexual Behavior, Impulsivity, and Contraceptive Use Among Female College Students

1. Risky Sexual Behavior, Impulsivity, and Contraceptive Use Among Female College Students Sara Neeves, Darcy McMullin, Kelly Kadlec, and Jacquelyn White Table 1 Percentages of sexually active women (n = 128) who have and have not engaged in each RSB Abstract The current study used data from 128 sexually active female college students to provide a descriptive analysis of 12 risky sexual behaviors (RSBs), and to examine the pairwise relationships among impulsivity, engaging in RSBs, and contraceptive use. Findings showed that 88% of the participants had engaged in at least one of the RSBs. In addition, there was a significant relationship between a subset of the RSBs and contraceptive use (i.e., birth control pills and condoms). The relationship between a subset of the RSBs and impulsivity was also significant; however, contrary to previous findings (Kahn, Kaplowitz, Goodman, & Emans, 2002), impulsivity and contraceptive use were not related. Introduction Risky sexual behavior, defined as behavior that increases one’s risk of pregnancy or STD contraction, is common among adolescents and young adults. Bearman and Burns (1998) found that 38% of adolescents in their study had engaged in sexual intercourse, almost half had had four or more sexual partners, and approximately 2/3 had engaged in sexual intercourse without using a condom. In another study, 80% of females reported engaging in sexual intercourse by the age of 19 (Alan Guttmacher Institute, 1995). Given the number of sexually active female adolescents, it is important to examine RSBs in this population. Past research has also connected sexual activity and birth control use to impulsivity (White & Johnson, 1988); however, findings are inconsistent. For example, Donohew, et al. (2000) found a strong correlation between impulsivity and RSB, with participants scoring high on impulsivity also reporting engaging in at least one RSB. White and Johnson (1988), however, did not find a relationship between these two variables. Method Participants One hundred sixty female college students (mean age = 18.7 years) participated in this study. Of these 160 females, 71% were freshman, 23% were sophomores, 4% were juniors, and 2% were seniors. Our sample was predominately White (71%), followed by African-American, Asian, Hispanic, and Other (25%, 2 %, 1%, and 1%, respectively). Of the 160 college students, 128 (80%) reported having vaginal or oral sex at least once, so they were classified as sexually active and selected for further study. Measures Participants completed measures that assessed RSBs, contraceptive use, and levels of impulsivity. RSBs were measured using 12-items in which participants indicated on a 5-point scale (ranging from never to always) how often they participated in various RSBs. Routine condom and birth control pill use were measured using a 5-point scale, ranging from never to always. Impulsivity was assessed using an 18-item AD/HD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder) symptomology questionnaire. Results Although approximately 88% of our sample reported engaging in at least one of the 12 RSBs, most of the RSBs were engaged in by less than half of the sample (see Table 1 for descriptive statistics). Chi-Square analyses were conducted to examine the relationships between contraceptive use and RSBs (see Table 2 for significant relationships). Participants who reported engaging in sexual experiences without knowing who else their partner(s) had been with, having new sexual partners without discussion of sexual history, engaging in sex without using a condom, having a condom fall off or break during vaginal sex, and being in a “friends with benefits” relationship were more likely to report using condoms compared to the participants who reported not engaging in those RSBs. In addition, participants who reported having a condom fall off or break during sex were more likely to report using the birth control pill. Each of the RSBs were regressed on the impulsivity variable. Two RSBs were significantly associated with impulsivity; impulsivity was a significant positive predictor of having open relationships and having a condom fall off or break during sex. T-tests were conducted to look at the association between impulsivity and contraceptive use; however, there were no significant findings. Discussion In the present study we provided a descriptive analysis of risky sexual behavior, and examined the pairwise relationships among impulsivity, engaging in RSBs, and contraceptive use. In accordance with previous studies, we also found that an overwhelming majority of our sample was sexually active. We found that most had engaged in at least one RSB, supporting our supposition that it is important to study the sexual behavior of female adolescents. The finding that people who are engaging in RSBs are more likely to use some form of contraception (mostly condoms) is encouraging evidence that the people at risk are also most likely to take precautions. The positive relationships between impulsivity and a subset of RSBs provide evidence that impulsivity should be further explored as a predictor of engaging in RSBs. References Alan Guttmacher Institute (1995). National survey of family growth. New York: Author. Bearman, P. S., & Burns, L. (1998). Adolescents, health and school: Early findingsfrom the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. NASSP Bulletin, 82, 601-623. Donohew, L., Zimmerman, R., Cupp, P., Novak, S., Colon, S., & Abell, R. (2000). Sensation seeking, impulsive decision-making, and risky sex: Implications for risk-taking and design of interventions. Personality and Individual Differences, 28, 1079-1091. Kahn, J. A., Kaplowitz, R. A., Goodman, E., & Emans, S. J. (2002). The association between impulsiveness and sexual risk behaviors in adolescent and young adult women. Journal of Adolescent Health, 30, 229-232. White, H., & Johnson, V. (1988). Risk taking as a predictor of adolescent sexual activity and use of contraception. Journal of Adolescent Research, 3, 317- 331. Table 2 Percentages of sexually active women’s use of condoms and the birth control pill among those who have and have not engaged in RSB