The Effect of State, Trait, and Situational Factors on Young Men’s Coercive Condom Use Resistance

Coercive condom use resistance (CUR) is a significant problem, associated with increases in sexually transmitted infections, unplanned pregnancy, feelings of betrayal, and a loss of sexual autonomy. Furthermore, young men are much more likely to perpetrate coercive CUR than young women. Thus, the present study sought to examine the past experiences, trait characteristics, and state emotions that may precede coercive CUR perpetration intentions, including alcohol intoxication, childhood emotional abuse, trait impulsivity, sexual sensation seeking, state impulsivity, and state anxiety, using an alcohol administration procedure. Young, single, nonproblem drinking, and sexually active men who have sex with women from the United States (N = 297; 66% White, 9.4% Black, 10.7% multiracial, 5.1% Asian, 1.0% Native American, 1.0% Pacific Islander, and 10.4%Hispanic or Latino)were recruited for participation. They were randomly assigned to either receive alcohol or remain sober before projecting themselves into a hypothetical sexual scenario with a woman who asked to use a condom. Results showed that greater levels of childhood emotional abuse were associated with increased trait impulsivity and sexual sensation seeking, and that sexual sensation seeking was associated with increased state impulsivity and subsequent anxiety during the scenario. Finally, alcohol intoxication moderated the relationship between state anxiety and coercive CUR such that state anxiety was positively associated with coercive CUR among intoxicated men only. Findings suggest that interventions targeting coercive CUR behavior may be improved by focusing on men who have experienced childhood trauma, as well as their alcohol consumption and in-the-moment experiences of impulsivity and anxiety.