Love Moderates the Relationship Between Partner Type & Condom Use among Women Engaging in Transactional Vaginal Sex

Background: Relationship characteristics and day-to-day variation in affective state have been associated with HIV risk behaviour. However, no research has assessed the impact of these factors on event-level condom use among women engaging in transactional sex. 

Methods: Twenty-six women engaging in transactional sex were enrolled in a prospective study of their sexual health. They completed diaries about multi-level predictors of condom use during vaginal sex twice, daily. 

Results: Over 4 weeks, 18 participants reported 87 paid/traded vaginal intercourse events. Of these, 51.7% were condom protected. The majority of paid/traded events (81.5%) occurred with a non-romantic partner. After controlling for partner type, feeling in love on a given day was associated with higher odds of condom use during paid/traded sexual events, while having sex on the weekend and at night were associated with lower odds of condom use (all P ≤ 0.05). There was a significant interaction between being in love and using condoms during transactional sex (P < 0.01). In paid/traded sexual events with romantic partners, the frequency of condom use was 71.4% (5/7) when women did not report love and 40% (4/10) when love was reported. In sexual events with non-romantic partners, the frequency of condom use was 43.8% (14/32) when women did not report love and 59.5% (22/37) when love was reported. 

Conclusions: Women were less likely to report protected sex with romantic partners and more likely to report protected sex with non-romantic partners when they are in love. Interventions focusing on the link between day-to-day variation in affective state on condom use may help women with risk management across partner types.

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By:  Alexis M. Roth A E, Joshua G. Rosenberger B, Devon J. Hensel C, Sarah E. Wiehe C,J. Dennis Fortenberry C and Karla D. Wagner D 

A Department of Community Health and Prevention, School of Public Health, Drexel University, Nesbitt Hall, 3215 Market Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA. B Pennsylvania State University, 149 Biobehavioral Health Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA. C Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, 410 W. 10th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA. D University of Nevada, 1664 N. Virginia Street MS 0274, Reno, NV 89557-0274, USA. E Corresponding author. Email: amr395@drexel.edu 

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