Sexual pleasure and condom use. Arch Sex Behav 2007 Dec;36(6):844-8
Date
10/03/2007Pubmed ID
17909960Pubmed Central ID
PMC2410083DOI
10.1007/s10508-007-9213-0Scopus ID
2-s2.0-36849078114 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 142 CitationsAbstract
The purpose of the present study was to determine whether sexually-experienced individuals' pleasure ratings for protected and unprotected vaginal intercourse would be related to actual condom use. College participants (80 women and 35 men, M age = 22.29 years) who reported engaging in vaginal intercourse in the past 3 months completed a questionnaire that assessed their perceptions of the pleasurability of unprotected and condom-protected vaginal intercourse and their own sexual behaviors. Both women and men rated unprotected vaginal intercourse as more pleasurable than protected vaginal intercourse. However, men's pleasure ratings for unprotected vaginal intercourse were higher than women's. Furthermore, men and women's pleasure ratings for condom-protected intercourse were correlated with their actual condom use behaviors. Men's "pleasure decrement" scores indicated a significantly greater reduction in pleasure ratings between unprotected and protected intercourse than women's scores. Men who perceived a larger decrease in pleasure between unprotected and protected intercourse were less likely to have used condoms in the past 3 months than those who perceived a smaller decrease in pleasure. The results provide evidence that many people believe that condoms reduce sexual pleasure and that men, in particular, who believe that condoms decrease pleasure are less likely to use them. Condom promotion campaigns should work to emphasize the pleasure-enhancing aspects of condom use.
Author List
Randolph ME, Pinkerton SD, Bogart LM, Cecil H, Abramson PRMESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
AdultCoitus
Condoms
Contraception Behavior
Female
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
Heterosexuality
Humans
Interpersonal Relations
Male
Orgasm
Sex Factors
Sexual Partners
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Surveys and Questionnaires
Unsafe Sex
