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Unsafe sex: Do feelings matter? (news)

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0401083930.htm

Quote:

Science Daily — According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), adolescents and young adults currently account for fifty percent of new HIV infections on an annual basis. As a result, ongoing research and information on HIV prevention has become a high priority for this age group. Now a new study reveals that helping adolescents manage their emotions may be just as important as providing them with information on the practical side of safe sex in order to prevent HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.

Researchers from the Bradley Hasbro Children’s Research Center and the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University studied 222 adolescents between the ages of 13 and 18 with psychiatric disorders and found that feelings do matter when it comes to making decisions about safe sex. Specifically, the findings suggest that lack of self-efficacy (the belief that one could effectively engage in a particular behavior) when confronted with the stress of using condoms is a powerful barrier to their use.

“We found that adolescents need help feeling more comfortable and less distressed about discussing and using condoms,” says lead author Celia Lescano, PhD, with the Bradley Hasbro Children’s Research Center and the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University.

Self-efficacy is akin to self-confidence and can be defined as a person’s beliefs about his or her own capabilities to produce effects or change in his or her life. In the context of this study, the authors found that teens with higher self-efficacy about condom use (i.e. they felt that they could effectively use condoms) were more likely to use them consistently even when feeling upset, bad about themselves, depressed or angry.

This study has wider implications for all teens engaging in sexual behavior because difficulty with distress during condom use is not confined to those who are clinically depressed, the authors say.

“As it turns out, managing the stresses associated with condom use is important. Adolescents can learn to decrease their anxiety about discussing and using condoms in order to use them safely and effectively,” explains Lescano.

Prior studies show that adolescents suffering from psychological distress may become overwhelmed in sexual situations because of relationship concerns (the fear of rejection), previous traumatic sexual experiences, or low self-esteem (little motivation to keep oneself healthy).

“Going forward, helping teens decrease distress and increase their effective skills is a critical component to HIV prevention strategies,” says Lescano.

While most HIV prevention interventions focus on acquiring practical behavioral skills like how to use a condom, the authors conclude that more needs to be done to protect oneself from HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.

The role of emotions in the engagement of health promoting behaviors, specifically condom use in this case should not be overlooked, the authors conclude.

“Using active strategies to deal with how well one manages the distress that arises in the face of a difficult situation such as asking one’s partner to use a condom should be a priority for HIV intervention programs,” Lescano says; “those who work with adolescents should be aware of the need to focus on the emotional aspects of engaging in health-promoting behaviors.”

The findings appear in the Journal of Prevention and Intervention in the Community, Vol. 33. No.1/2 2007.

I found this article interesting. Though, I'm not able to state my full opinion on it without being accused of trying to be inflammatory. I can say the fact that a study has been done on this is a great thing... Teaching condom use doesn't mix with abstinence only sex ed.

Mods -

well actually, teaching all methods of contraceptives is a good thing, your study was done on 222 teens with psychiatric disorders, this is a TINY sample, on a very narrow view of the world, only teens with psychiatric disorders, not teens as a whole. emotions play a deep role in sex, and should be taught more, however, saying a study on 222 psychiatric disordered teens shows that condoms should not be taught with abstinence in sexual education is just to big of a stretch. the 2 are not comparable, it's like saying a study on teen murderers showed that they get a thrill from watching violent media, so all teens like violent media.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dilbert1234567

however, saying a study on 222 psychiatric disordered teens shows that condoms should not be taught with abstinence in sexual education is just to big of a stretch.

Not what I meant. I was saying you can't teach abstinence only education and still teach about condom use. (Or can you?) Hence potentially part of the problem teens had in the study? Such a problem would be magnified in teens with psychiatric disorders.

And, the term psychiatric disorders is a nice blanket term to refer to all kinds of problems. I think that's also important to remember when looking at this study.

you're right, you can't teach abstinence only and condom use.

i believe that abstinence needs to be included as a method of STD control, as well as condoms, and everything else under the sun.

all i am saying is this study is to narrow to be applied elsewhere.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dilbert1234567

Then I agree with you completely. heh

I just think the study is a good start in providing proof.

The study is very narrow so I wouldn't quite say that it's accurate but I would say that it goes to show how much abstinence education would help out in this situation (and by help out I mean make it worse).

This article only strengthens my belief that parents need to become more involved in the education and upbringing of their children. I am a firm believer that children will believe and trust their parents much more than an outsider or stranger, IF the parent has become involved in the child's upbringing, instead of letting the schools raise their kids.
Its like the old adage, "if you tell the kid no, then it will make them want to do it even more." If you EDUCATE your children and are open enough about sex to talk about it with them, you can make sure that they are well armed with the information BEFORE they are at risk of engaging on ANY type of dangerous activity, like sex.