title: Arousability as a predictor of sexual risk behaviours in African-American adolescent women.
abstract: This study examined the impact of sexual excitation (arousability) on sexual risk-taking behaviours in a community sample of African-American adolescent women. A sample of 701 African-American adolescent women completed measures examining their propensity for sexual arousal, impulsivity and sexual behaviour. Compared with women with a lower propensity for sexual arousability, women with a higher propensity reported a greater number of sexual partners, more inconsistent condom use, a greater likelihood of having engaged in sexual intercourse with 'risky' partners, and sex while high on alcohol or drugs. These results indicate that women who have a greater propensity to become sexually aroused in a variety of situations may be at a greater risk for contracting HIV or sexually transmissible infections relative to women with a lower propensity for arousal. This suggests that individual differences in the propensity to become sexually aroused should be considered when developing intervention approaches targeting young African-American women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada.
authors.forename: Jessica R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Wood
authors.forename: Robin R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Milhausen
authors.forename: Jessica M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Sales
authors.forename: Cynthia A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Graham
authors.forename: Stephanie A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Sanders
authors.forename: Ralph J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Diclemente
authors.forename: Gina M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Wingood
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001741:Black or African American; D001143:Arousal; D017280:Condoms / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005845:Georgia; D006801:Humans; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D055815:Young Adult