Acknowledging that "the influence that female partners exert regarding condom use is not well known," the researchers set out to study "the relative roles of personal sexual agency and relational factors in determining whether young African-American women engaged in unprotected vaginal sex (UVS)."

Using data derived from an audio-computer assisted self-interview, 713 African-American women ages 15-21 were studied. The researchers assessed three measures of sexual agency and three relational factors. To help assure validity in the outcome measure, they assessed condom use in five ways. To determine whether variables independently predicted UVS, multivariate analyses were conducted.

The researchers found that two of the six predictor variables achieved multivariate significance with all five measures of condom use. These were: (1) fear of negotiating condom use with male partners; and (2) indicating that stopping to use condoms takes the fun out of sex. A relational factor, male-dominated power imbalances, achieved multivariate significance for four of the five measures of UVS. A sexual agency factor, whether young women greatly enjoyed sex, achieved multivariate significance for three of the five measures.

"The results suggest that young African-American women at high risk of sexually transmissible infections (STI)/HIV acquisition may experience male-dominated power imbalances and also fear the process of negotiating condom use with their male partners," the authors concluded. "Although these factors were independently associated with UVS, two factors pertaining to sexual agency of these young women were also important predictors of UVS. Intervention efforts designed to avert STI/HIV acquisition among young African-American women should therefore include programs to address both sexual agency and relational factors."

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