WHAT IS BEAUTIFUL IS SAFE: PHYSICAL ATTRACTIVENSS AND PERCEPTIONS OF STI RISK AMONG MEN WHO HAVE SEX WITH MEN

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dc.contributor.advisorMohr, Jonathan Jen_US
dc.contributor.authorSarno, Elissa Louiseen_US
dc.contributor.departmentPsychologyen_US
dc.contributor.publisherDigital Repository at the University of Marylanden_US
dc.contributor.publisherUniversity of Maryland (College Park, Md.)en_US
dc.date.accessioned2018-10-02T05:31:23Z
dc.date.available2018-10-02T05:31:23Z
dc.date.issued2018en_US
dc.description.abstractMen who have sex with men (MSM) are the group most severely impacted by HIV in the United States (CDC, 2015). Many MSM, however, still engage in sex without condoms (Smith, Herbst, Zhang, & Rose, 2015). One factor influencing a lack of condom use among MSM may be an assumption of low risk of contracting HIV or another STI from physically attractive partners. This assumption may be particularly dangerous for MSM who use geosocial networking applications (GSN) to find sexual partners. Previous researchers have suggested that this assumption could be based on two theoretical mechanisms: implicit personality theory and motivated reasoning. The present study tested two hypothesized models of the associations between physical attractiveness, perceived HIV/STI risk, and condom use intentions, based on these proposed theories. Participants were 197 MSM who completed an online survey in which they viewed photos of physically attractive and unattractive men and responded to items on perception of positive partner personality characteristics, intention to have sex with the partner, perceived risk for HIV/STIs, and condom use intentions. Results supported both theories. Specifically, physical attractiveness was negatively associated with perceived risk for HIV/STIs and condom use intentions, and these relations were mediated by intentions to have sex and positive partner personality. Implications of these findings for further research and practice are discussed.en_US
dc.identifierhttps://doi.org/10.13016/M2H12VB7M
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/21440
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.subject.pqcontrolledCounseling psychologyen_US
dc.subject.pquncontrolledapplicationen_US
dc.subject.pquncontrolledattractivenessen_US
dc.subject.pquncontrolledcondomen_US
dc.subject.pquncontrolledHIVen_US
dc.subject.pquncontrolledMSMen_US
dc.subject.pquncontrolledSTIen_US
dc.titleWHAT IS BEAUTIFUL IS SAFE: PHYSICAL ATTRACTIVENSS AND PERCEPTIONS OF STI RISK AMONG MEN WHO HAVE SEX WITH MENen_US
dc.typeDissertationen_US

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