Delay Discounting and Sexual Decision-Making: Understanding Condom Use Behavior Among U.S. College Students

• Published in: Archives of sexual behavior Vol. 52; no. 6; pp. 2605 - 2617
• Main Authors: Mitzel, Luke D., Johnson, Matthew W., Vanable, Peter A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01-08-2023; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Behavioral Science and Psychology; College students; Condoms; Decision making; Disease prevention; Health behavior; Original Paper; Psychology; Public Health; Sexual Behavior; Sexually transmitted diseases; Social Sciences; STD; United States > US; Condom use; Intentions; Sexually transmitted diseases; College students; Delay discounting
• ISSN: 0004-0002; 1573-2800; 1573-2800
• DOI: 10.1007/s10508-023-02597-4

Condoms provide protection against sexually transmitted diseases; however, condomless sex remains common among college students and intentions to use condoms do not consistently translate into condom use. This study tested which indicator of condom use intentions from a delay discounting paradigm of condom-protected sex best accounted for variance in condom use behavior. The sample consisted of 187 sexually active college students (51.9% female) who completed measures of condom use during vaginal and anal sex over the past three months and a decision-making paradigm regarding condom intentions with hypothetical sexual partners. In separate models, condom behavior was regressed on one of three indicators of condom intentions: initial intentions to use a condom, delay discounting of condom-protected sex, and overall area under the curve across all trials. Results showed that delay discounting of condom-protected sex best accounted for variance in absolute frequency of condomless sex, whereas initial intentions to use a condom best accounted for variance in relative proportion of condomless sex. Future research directions and implications for interventions are discussed.