title: One love: explicit monogamy agreements among heterosexual young adult couples at increased risk of sexually transmitted infections.
abstract: HIV prevention strategies among couples include condom use, mutual monogamy, and HIV testing. Research suggests that condom use is more likely with new or casual partners, and tends to decline as relationships become steady over time. Little is known, however, about explicit mutual monogamy agreements and HIV testing within heterosexual couples. This study used data from 434 young heterosexual couples at increased risk of HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) to assess (a) couple concordance on perceptions of a monogamy agreement, sustained monogamy, and HIV testing; and (b) the associations of relationship and demographic factors with monogamy agreement, sustained monogamy, and HIV testing. Results indicated only slight to fair agreement within couples on measures of monogamy agreement and sustained monogamy. Overall, 227 couples (52%) concurred that they had an explicit agreement to be monogamous; of those, 162 (71%) had sustained the agreement. Couples with greater health protective communication and commitment were more likely to have a monogamy agreement. Couples of Latino and Hispanic ethnicity and those with children were less likely to have a monogamy agreement. Only commitment was related to sustained monogamy. Having children, greater health protective communication, and perceived vulnerability to HIV and STIs were associated with HIV testing within the couple.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA. jocelyn.warren@oregonstate.edu
authors.forename: Jocelyn T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Warren
authors.forename: S Marie
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Harvey
authors.forename: Christopher R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Agnew
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis; D020010:Heterosexuality; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D015141:Los Angeles; D008297:Male; D009825:Oklahoma; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014342:Truth Disclosure; D014584:User-Computer Interface; D055815:Young Adult