Influence of Sexual Sensation Seeking, Sexual Compulsivity and Sexual Pleasure in Condom Use Among Spanish Youth: Implications For HIV Interventions - Influence of Sexual Sensation Seeking, Sexual Compulsivity and Sexual Pleasure in Condom Use Among Spanish Youth: Implications For HIV Interventions - Open Access Pub

Spain is one of the countries with the highest incidence of HIV within the European Union. Multiple and complex factors influence HIV infection in young people. This study aims to determine the influence of sexual sensation seeking, sexual compulsivity and perceived sexual pleasure variables in condom use. A total of 424 heterosexual youth were evaluated (M age = 20.62; SD = 2.62) distributed into a risk group (60.7%) and a no-risk group (39.3%). Sexual Sensation Seeking Scale, AIDS Prevention Questionnaire, Sexual Compulsivity Scale, and Sexual Pleasure Perceived Scale were administered. Results indicate statistically significant differences in sexual sensation seeking (p=.001), failure to control sexual impulses (p=.030), perceived sexual pleasure with a condom (p=.027) and without a condom (p=.001). The regression analysis revealed that three factors explained about 14% of the variance in condom use: sexual sensation seeking and sexual pleasure perceived without a condom (risk factors), and sexual pleasure perceived with a condom (protective factor). It is necessary to incorporate these variables into HIV prevention programs to reduce the number of infections in young people. DOI10.14302/issn.2474-3585.jpmc-16-1198 HIV infection is a major public health concern in European Union countries. In Spain, 10 percent of new HIV infections occurred in young adults under 30 years old and 30.5 percent happen with late diagnosis. Considering the window period, this implies framing the moment of infection during adolescence 1. Consistent condom use and other safe sexual behavior such as male circumcision, abstinence or mutual monogamy with an HIV-negative partner are the way to prevent sexual transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs)2, 3, 4. Despite HIV preventive actions aimed at this group over the years, a significant percentage of Spanish youth from different regions continue to engage in sexual risk behaviors 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. The health behavior change models for HIV prevention have emphasized the influence of social, contextual and interpersonal determinants as the knowledge about HIV, cues to action, attitudes towards condoms, beliefs related to vulnerability to AIDS or motivation towards safe sexual behavior. But also, individual characteristics of people, considered as active agents, are relevant in understanding the processes involved in the primary and secondary HIV prevention 10, 11, 12. Derived from the sensation seeking concept, Kalichman et al. established the construct of sexual sensation seeking to assess this