The effects of men's hostility toward women, acute alcohol intoxication, and women's condom request style on men's condom use resistance tactics

Objective: The aim of this study was to extend previous research demonstrating that intoxicated men high in hostility toward women report stronger intentions to use coercive condom use resistance (CUR) tactics to have unprotected sex by examining the role of women's condom request style. Method: Community, nonproblem-drinking men, ages 21-30 years (N = 296) completed standard alcohol administration procedures and read an eroticized story of a casual sexual interaction. After the woman's request to use a condom, intentions to engage in coercive CUR tactics were assessed. Generalized linear models with gamma distributions assessed the 3-way interaction of men's hostility toward women, beverage condition (alcohol or sober), and the woman's condom request style (indirect, direct, or insistent). Results: The 3-way interaction among hostility toward women, beverage condition, and indirect condom request (vs. direct) significantly predicted men's coercive CUR intentions. Men high in hostility toward women reported stronger CUR intentions after experiencing an indirect condom request, when sober or intoxicated, and after a direct condom request when intoxicated. Men high in hostility toward women reported the weakest CUR intentions when sober after an insistent or direct condom request. Conclusions: Men high in hostility toward women pose a threat to women's sexual safety, particularly when intoxicated or after an indirect condom request. Hostility toward women and alcohol consumption should be addressed in sexual risk prevention programs. Pending further replication, women should be informed of the relative effectiveness of using insistent condom requests.