Factors Influencing Safer Sexual Behaviors in Heterosexual Late Adolescent and Young Adult Collegiate Males

An exploratory study examined variables characterized as predisposing to the practice of safe sexual behaviors. A sample of 227 male subjects from a state-supported university in southeastern New England returned questionnaires anonymously that contained demographic questions and instruments to measure the study variables. After removing two variables for low internal consistency reliabilities, the remaining five were entered simultaneously into a multiple regression equation. The variables captured 21% of the variance. The direction and magnitude of the statistically significant standardized beta weights are as follows: attitude toward condoms, .41; internal health locus of control, .22; and self-esteem, -.16. These attitudes and characteristics can be incorporated into interventions to reduce sexual exposure to HIV.