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.

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ORCID for Cynthia A. Graham: orcid.org/0000-0002-7884-599X

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