Diplomarbeit Hochschule für Angewandte Psychologie Zürich, 2005.

The aims of this study are threefold. First, the study aims to understand the main reasons that stop 18-24-year-olds from communicating condom use and safer sex. Based on findings supported by empirical studies in the literature and interviews with sexual health researchers in Canada, this study describes how a collaborative serious game integrates the principles of serious games with practices of safer sexual communication and negotiation. Finally, it includes an analysis of how 18- to 24-year-olds report practicing safer sexual communication and negotiation skills through participation in the collaborative serious game and what insights (a) 18-24-year-old participants and (b) sexual health experts share about the game that can inform future design iterations of this game. Forty participants aged 18-24 played the game and reported enhanced communication and language skills, raised awareness and reduced stigma around safer sex communication and condom use. The potential of the game in enhancing the participants' language skills (i.e., learning the language such as words, phrases, expressions) of communication and negotiation showed the highest frequency. Language skills and communications skills together comprised 28.5% of the overall feedback. The second most frequent theme was about the efficiency of the game in normalizing conversations around sex and condom use and removing the awkwardness around such topics. The game seemed to allow participants to practice dialogue and scenarios that extend beyond what they experienced in formal sex education in school. Participants also provided a range of recommendations for the next iteration of the game. To design the serious game, I followed a process of Design-Based Research (DBR) (Anderson & Shattuck, 2012) model and followed the four phases of DBR proposed by Reeves (2006). The study's findings aid other researchers in the field and offer insights to enhance sexual health education. With the increasing STIs in Canada, COVID-19's impact, and young people's reliance on online resources for answers, this research is timely. Moreover, the study contributes to the scarce research on collaborative serious games to improve 18-24-year-olds' sexual communication and negotiation skills. Limitations and implications of the design and of the game, as experienced by participants are discussed.

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Comprehensive sex education is a determinant of sexual health outcomes and healthy sexual/reproductive behaviors. The need for engaging, accessible, inclusive sex education conducted by community health workers is necessary to combat larger national issues such as the rising rates of sexually transmitted infections. After conducting summer research where I interviewed health educators about what makes health education programs successful, I planned, implemented, and created a sex education program at Scripps College. The event covered the topics of female anatomy, sexually transmitted infections, safer sex/barrier methods, and consent/communication in sexual relationships. The presentation mainly consisted of a PowerPoint that was supplemented with an interactive activity, a raffle and giveaway items, demonstrations of various barrier methods, and a question-and-answer session at the end. Through an evaluative survey, I received an overwhelming amount of positive feedback that indicated that many students learned new information and were likely to make concrete changes to their sexual/reproductive choices because of the program. The most common critical feedback requested that this program be repeated in more depth and cover additional topics such as conception and female orgasm.

The Navajo tribe reports extraordinarily high number of cases of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), such as gonorrhea, chlamydia, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) among men who have sex with men (MSM) and heterosexual populations. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the cultural value of adil' idli (self-respect) and how this cultural practice might influence health behaviors in sexual activity, condoms use, and acquiring of STDs among Navajo men. The Health Belief Model (HBM) was the theoretical foundation for providing a deeper understanding of the social, environmental, and cultural factors of condom use among Navajo men. Research questions focus on understanding whether condoms affected sexual activity, its protective role against STDs/HIV, and acceptability concerns pertaining to adil' idli (self-respect). A purposeful criterion-based sampling was used to select and interview 20 Navajo men ages 20 to 39 who lived in or near Shiprock, New Mexico and Gallup, New Mexico. I used a grounded approach and categorizing strategy to code and analyze the transcripts. Key findings revealed that the positive components of adil' idli (self-respect) have influenced Navajo men to protect themselves by wearing condoms. Recommendations include identifying strategies to address condom errors and failures and to develop tactful approaches to promote correct condom use in order to decrease the rates of STDs and HIV among Navajo men. The positive social change implications include health professionals' use of findings to improve STD and condom use prevention behavior among Navajo men by integrating the cultural beliefs of adil' idli (self-respect), specifically emphasizing the positive aspects of staying healthy in health messages.

Introduction: Women’s household decision autonomy is a significant part of women’s empowerment and has, in previous studies, been shown to affect the possibility of negotiating for safe sex practices. Women in sub-Saharan Africa face difficulties in refusing sex from their partners due to stigmatization, which puts them at risk for both unwanted pregnancies and STIs. The aim of this thesis is to assess the association between participation in household decision-making and married women’s ability to refuse sex in Mali. Methods: It is a cross-sectional study using data from the 2018 Mali Demographic and Health Survey. The final study sample included 7681 married or women living in union, and the analysis used descriptive statistics and univariate- and multivariate logistic regression. Results: This study found that women who participate in household decisions are significantly more likely to be able to refuse sexual intercourse with their partners. Additionally, uneducated women and women living in rural areas were significantly less likely to be able to refuse sex, while women who have access to some sort of media on a weekly basis were more likely to be able to refuse. Age, sex of head of household, and partner’s education showed no impact on the ability to refuse sex. Conclusion: The results corroborate with existing literature and highlight the need for improved efforts to specifically address social and cultural barriers that may aid women’s ability to practice safe sex negotiations in their relationships.

This study described sexual behaviours among adolescents living with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in Zimbabwe. This study utilised a quantitative descriptive design. Data was collected using structured questionnaires from 341 adolescents living with HIV. Findings revealed that some adolescents were sexually active and had early onset of sexual activity (before their sixteenth birthday). A good proportion of sexually active adolescents were noted not to practise safer sex and the main reason was condom inaccessibility and some had multiple sex partners. Factors independently associated with being sexually active included exposure to erotic content on television programmes, having a psychiatric diagnosis, discussions of sexuality with health worker and older age. Adolescents` behaviours living with HIV and the issue of availability of condoms may play a part in the spread of HIV. More discussions and research on sexuality of adolescents are recommended / Health Studies / M.A. (Public Health)

The purpose of the study was to explore factors that influenced safer sex practices in Malawi. A quantitative, explorative, descriptive study was conducted to determine why the prevalence of new HIV infections was still high in Malawi despite. Questionnaires were used to collect data. Sexually active men, women, boys and girls that participated in the Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation community awareness activities participated in this study. The study found that demographic, socio-economic and knowledge-related factors influence safer sex practices in Malawi. Various modifying factors played a role in influencing the individuals’ perception of susceptibility, severity, barriers and benefits of practising safer sex. The findings indicated that individuals generally had a broad knowledge of the spread and prevention of HIV. The Health Belief Model was used as theoretical framework for the study / Health Studies

Tyrimo tikslas – įvertinti seksualinio elgesio motyvų svarbą studentų rizikingo seksualinio elgesio ir asmenybės bruožų sąsajai. Tyrime dalyvavo 319 Klaipėdos universiteto studentų, iš jų seksualinę patirtį turėjo 241 studentai (75,5 proc.). Tyrime buvo naudojami seksualinio elgesio motyvų, saugaus seksualinio elgesio motyvacijos, seksualinio elgesio klausimai, Didžiojo penketo asmenybės klausimynas ir polinkio rizikuoti klausimynas. Išanalizavus rezultatus nustatyta, jog vyrų seksualinis elgesys rizikingesnis nei moterų. Seksualinę patirtį prognozuoja vyresnis amžius, labiau išreikštas polinkis rizikuoti, labiau išreikšti malonumo motyvai. Taip pat nustatyta, jog didėjant studentų ekstraversijai, mažėjant sutariamumui bei didėjant polinkiui rizikuoti, didėja rizikingas seksualinis elgesys. Sąžiningumas, neurotiškumas, atvirumas patirčiai, impulsyvumas nėra susiję su rizikingu seksualiniu elgesiu. Didėjant studentų malonumo, įveikos, savęs pastiprinimo ir partnerio palankumo motyvams bei mažėjant studentų vidinei motyvacijai, rizikingas seksualinis elgesys didėja. Intymumo ir bendraamžių palankumo motyvai nėra susiję su rizikingu seksualiniu elgesiu. Sutariamumo ir rizikingo seksualinio elgesio ryšį prognozuoja didesni intymumo motyvai ir mažesnė vidinė saugaus seksualinio elgesio motyvacija. Sąžiningumo ryšį su rizikingu seksualiniu elgesiu prognozuoja mažesni įveikos/ savęs pastiprinimo motyvai. Polinkio rizikuoti ryšį su rizikingu seksualiniu elgesiu prognozuoja didesni... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The aim of the study was to assess the importance of Sexual Behavior Motives in prediction of between Student‘s Risky Sexual Behavior and Personality Traits. The subjects of the study were 319 student of Klaipeda university. 241 (75,5 percent) of them had sexual experience. In this research motives for sex questionnaire, motivation of safer sexual behavior questionnaire, sexual behavior questions, Big Five Personality questionnaire and Risk Taking Propensity questionnaire were used. The statistic analysis showed that men sexual behavior is riskier than women. Sexual experience predicted elder age, increase risk taking propensity and increase enhancement motives. Statistic analysis also showed that student’s increased risky sexual behavior is related to increase of extraversion and risk taking propensity and decrease of agreeableness. Student’s personality traits: conscientiousness, neuroticism and openness to experience are not related to risky sexual behavior. Student risky sexual behavior increase when student’s enhancement, coping, affirmation, partner approval motives increase and student’s intrinsic motivation decrease. Intimacy and peer approval motives are not related to risky sexual behavior. Correlation of agreeableness and risky sexual behavior is predicted by increase intimacy motives and decrease intrinsic motivation. Correlation of conscientiousness and risky sexual behavior is predicted by decrease coping/ affirmation motives. Correlation of risk taking... [to full text]