Normative beliefs and sexual risk in China.
We examined normative beliefs about multiple sexual partners and social status in China and their association with risky sexual behaviors and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Self-reported and biological markers of sexual risk were examined among 3,716 market vendors from a city in eastern China. Men who were older or with less education believed having multiple sexual partners was linked to higher social status. Adjusting for demographic characteristics, normative beliefs were significantly associated with having multiple sexual partners, while having multiple sexual partners was significantly associated with STIs. Normative beliefs regarding sexual behaviors may play an important role in individual risk behaviors. Future HIV/STI interventions must address community beliefs about the positive meaning of sexual risks, particularly among men with traditional beliefs about gender roles.
Center for Community Health, UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, 10920 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 350, Los Angeles, CA 90024, USA. lililili@ucla.edu
Li
L
Li
Ying Ying
YY
Ding
Zunyou
Z
Wu
Mary Jane
MJ
Rotheram-Borus
Sam
S
Guo
D000328:Adult; D002681:China; D003469:Culture; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D012747:Sexual Partners / Q000523:psychology*; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission*; D012923:Social Class; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult