7 April 2019

CNN: How men and women use condoms differently

That's the conclusion of a recent study that examined condom negotiation in men and women ages 18 to 25. The researchers found that heterosexual men, heterosexual women and men who have sex with men all used different strategies when negotiating condom use with a new partner.

Overall, the findings are in line with what my colleagues and I have noticed in our practices: Straight men tend to be more willing to have sex without a condom, while women may withhold sex if their partner refuses to use one, and men who have sex with men aim for a balance between these approaches. There's a lot to unpack here, so let's take a look. [...]

Likewise, men might care less about the consequences of sex when they're not motivated to be in a relationship. "It sounds like an oxymoron, but it appears that men who have higher relationship motivation tend to take less risk when it comes to protecting themselves and partners from unintended pregnancies and STIs," sex therapist Renée D. Burwell said. "Men who don't really care about their relationship becoming serious tend to be riskier and more dependent on their partner to protect them." [...]

This study found that men who have sex with men are more likely to verbalize their negotiations about condom use than their heterosexual peers, possibly because they may view themselves on a more equal playing field with their partners.

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