Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Sexual Communication in Relationships: When Words Speak Louder Than Actions

  • Published:
Sex Roles Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Sexual communication for expressing sexual desires and gathering HIV risk information were examined as interpersonal constructs related to HIV risk reduction. Community women (n = 816) with at least one heterosexual HIV risk factor (79% Euro-American, 86% some college) completed surveys assessing assertive communication with a sexual partner, HIV risk, and demographic, sexual history, interpersonal negative, and cognitive/attitudinal constructs which formed a hierarchical predictor model. In relationship context comparisons, women with a known partner HIV risk responded more negatively on most measures. Multiple regressions suggested communication is part of an overall cognitive/attitudinal approach to HIV risk, although specific predictors differ by type of communication and partner risk level. Implications for interventions considering relational context, interpersonal power, and counteracting silence are discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

REFERENCES

  • Amaro, H. (1995). Love, sex, power: Considering women's realities in HIV prevention. American Psychologist. 50, 437–447.

    Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, V., Reis, J., & Stephens, Y. (1997). Male and female adolescents' perceived interpersonal communication skills according to history of sexual coercion. Adolescence, 32, 49–427.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bandura, A. (1990). Perceived self-efficacy in the exercise of control over AIDS infection. Evaluation and Program Planning, 13, 9–17.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bowen, A. M. (1996). Predicting increased condom use with main partners: Potential approaches to intervention. Drugs and Society, 9(1–2), 57–74.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carli, L. L. (1990). Gender, language, and influence. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 59, 941–951.

    Google Scholar 

  • Catania, J. A., Coates, T. J., Kegeles, S., Fullilove, M. T., Peterson, J., Siegel, D., & Hulley, S. (1992). Condom use in multi-ethnic neighborhoods of San Francisco: The populationbased AMEN (AIDS in Multiethnic Neighborhoods) study. American Journal of Public Health, 82, 284–287.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cochran, S. D., & Mays, V. M. (1990). Sex, lies, and HIV. New England Journal of Medicine, 322, 774–775.

    Google Scholar 

  • Deiter, P. J. (1994). Sexual assertiveness training for college women: An intervention study.Dissertation, University of Rhode Island.

  • DiClemente, R. J., & Wingood, G. M. (1995). A randomized controlled trial of an HIV sexual risk—reduction intervention for young African—American women. Journal of the American Medical Association, 274, 1271–1276.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eagly, A. H., Karau, S. J., & Makhijani, M. G. (1995). Gender and the effectiveness of leaders: A meta—analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 117, 125–145.

    Google Scholar 

  • Feingold, A. (1994). Gender differences in personality:Ameta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 116, 429–456.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fullilove, M. T., Fullilove, R. E., Haynes, K., & Gross, S. (1990). Black women and AIDS prevention: A view towards understanding the gender rules. Journal of Sex Research, 27, 47–64.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gervasio, A. H. (1987). Assertiveness techniques as speech acts. Clinical Psychology Review, 7, 105–119.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gervasio, A. H., & Crawford, M. (1989). Social evaluations of assertiveness: A critique and speech act reformulation. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 13, 1–25.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gómez, C. A., & Marín, B. V. (1996). Gender, culture, and power: Barriers to HIV-prevention strategies for women. Journal of Sex Research, 33, 355–362.

    Google Scholar 

  • Greene, D. M., & Navarro, R. L. (1998). Situation-specific assertiveness in the epidemiology of sexual victimization among university women. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 22, 589–604.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harlow, L. L., Newcomb, M. D., & Bentler, P. M. (1986). Depression, self-derogation, substance use, and suicide ideation: Lack of purpose in life as a mediational factor. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 42, 5–21.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harlow, L. L., Quina, K., & Morokoff, P. J. (1990, August). Predicting AIDS-risking attitudes and behaviors (ARBAS) in young adults. Paper presented at American Psychological Association annual meeting, Boston, Massachusetts.

  • Harlow, L. L., Quina, K., Morokoff, P. J., Rose, J. E., & Grimley, D. M. (1993). HIV risk in women: A multifaceted model. Journal of Applied Biobehavioral Research, 1, 3–38.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harlow, L. L., Rose, J. S., Morokoff, P. J., Quina, K., Mayer, K., Mitchell, K., & Schnoll, R. (1998). Women HIV sexual risk takers: Related behaviors, issues and attitudes. Women's health: Research on gender, behavior, and policy, 4, 407–439.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ickovics, J. R., & Rodin, J. (1992). Women and AIDS in the United States: Epidemiology, natural history, and mediating mechanisms. Health Psychology, 11, 1–16.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kalichman, S. C., Williams, E. A., Cherry, C., Belcher, L., & Nachimson, D. (1998). Sexual coercion, domestic violence, and negotiating condom use among low-income African American women. Journal of Women's Health, 7, 371–378.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kelly, J. A., & Kalichman, S. C. (1995). Increased attention to human sexuality can improve HIV-AIDS prevention efforts: Key research issues and directions. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 63, 907–918.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kern, J. M., Cavell, T. A., & Beck, B. (1985). Predicting differential reactions to males' versus females' assertions, empathic-assertions, and nonassertions. Behavior Therapy, 16, 63–75.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kline, A., Kline, E., & Oken, E. (1992). Minority women and sexual choice in the age of AIDS. Social Science and Medicine, 34, 447–457.

    Google Scholar 

  • Koss, M. P., & Oros, C. J. (1982). Sexual experience survey:Aresearch instrument investigating sexual aggression and victimization. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 50, 455–457.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leaper, C. (1987). Agency, communion, and gender as predictors of communication style and being liked in adult male—female dyads. Sex Roles, 16, 137–149.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leonard, R. (1995). “I'm just a girl who can't say 'no”': A gender difference in children's perceptions of refusal. Feminism and Psychology, 5, 315–328.

    Google Scholar 

  • Manlowe, J., & Goldstein, N. (Eds.). (1997). Gender and the politics of HIV. New York: New York University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marín, B. V., Tschann, J. M., Gómez, C. A., & Gregorich, S. (1998). Self-efficacy to use condoms in unmarried Latino adults. American Journal of Community Psychology, 26, 53–71.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mays, V. M., & Cochran, S. D. (1988). Issues in the perception of AIDS risk and risk reduction activities by Black and Hispanic/Latina women. American Psychologist, 43, 949–957.

    Google Scholar 

  • McCormick, N. (1994). Sexual salvation: Affirming women's sexual rights and pleasures. Westport, CT: Praeger.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morokoff, P. J. (1990, August). Women's sexuality: Expression of self versus social construction.In C. B. Travis (Chair), The social construction of women's sexuality. Symposium presented at the American Psychological Association, Boston, Massachusetts.

  • Morokoff, P. J., Harlow, L. L., & Quina, K. (1995). Women and AIDS. In A. L. Stanton & S. J. Gallant (Eds.), Women's Health (pp. 117–169). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morokoff, P. J., Quina, K., Harlow, L. L., Whitmire, L. E., Grimley, D. M., Gibson, P., & Burkholder, G. J. (1997). Sexual Assertiveness Scale (SAS) for women: Development and validation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 73, 790–804.

    Google Scholar 

  • Muehlenhard, C. L., & Hollabaugh, L. C. (1983). Women's assertion and the female sex-role stereotype. In V. Franks & E. D. Rothblum (Eds.), The stereotyping of women: Effects on mental health. New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Muehlenhard, C. L., & McCoy, M. L. (1991). Double standard/double bind: The sexual double standard and women's communication about sex. Psychology of WomenQuarterly, 15, 447–461.

    Google Scholar 

  • North, R. L., & Rothenberg, K. H. (1993). Partner notification and the threat of domestic violence against women with HIV infection. New England Journal of Medicine, 329, 1194–1196.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nyamathi, A., & Vasquez, R. (1989). Impact of poverty, homelessness, and drugs on Hispanic women at risk for HIV infection. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 11, 299–314.

    Google Scholar 

  • Perper, T., & Weis, D. L. (1987). Proceptive and rejective strategies of US and Canadian college women. Journal of Sex Research, 23, 455–480.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ploem, C., & Byers, S. E. (1997). The effects of two AIDS risk-reduction interventions on heterosexual college women's AIDS-related knowledge, attitudes and condom use. Journal of Psychology and Human Sexuality, 9, 1–24.

    Google Scholar 

  • Prochaska, J. O., Harlow, L. L., & Behavior Change Institute (1990). Models of behavior change for condom use: Preliminary analyses in an AIDS-risking community sample.Technical Report to Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia (contract #0-4115-002).

  • Prochaska, J. O., Redding, C. A., Harlow, L. L., Rossi, J. S., & Velicer, W. F. (1994). The transtheoretical model of change and HIV prevention: A review. Health Education Quarterly, 21, 45–60.

    Google Scholar 

  • Quina, K., Harlow, L. L., Morokoff, P. J., & Saxon, S. E. (1997). Interpersonal power and women's HIV risk. In J. Manlowe & N. Goldstein (Eds.), Gender and the politics of HIV (pp. 188–206). New York: New York University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Quina, K., Rose, J. S., Harlow, L. L., Morokoff, P. J., Deiter, P. J., Whitmire, L. E., Lang, M. A., & Schnoll, R. A. (1999). Focusing in on participants: A feminist process model for scale modification. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 23, 459–484.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rakos, R. F. (1991). Assertive behavior: Theory, research and training. New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Redding, C. A. (1993). The transtheoretical model applied to safer sex behavior among university students: A cross-sectional investigation. Dissertation, University of Rhode Island.

  • Sorenson, J. L., Gibson, D. R., Heitzmann, C., Dumontet, R., & Acampora, A. (1988, August).AIDS prevention with drug abusers in residential treatment: Preliminary results. Paper presented at the American Psychological Association annual meeting, Atlanta, Georgia.

  • St. Lawrence, J. S., Eldridge, G. D., Reitman, D., Little, C. E., Shelby, M. C., & Brasfield, T. L. (1998). Factors influencing condom use among African American women: Implications for risk reduction interventions. American Journal of Community Psychology, 26, 7–28.

    Google Scholar 

  • Straus, M. A. (1979). Measuring intrafamily conflict and violence: The conflict tactics (CT) scales. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 41, 75–88.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tabachnick, B. G., & Fidell, L. S. (1996). Using multivariate statistics.NewYork: HarperCollins.

    Google Scholar 

  • Whitmire, L. E., Harlow, L. L., Quina, K., & Morokoff, P. J. (1998). Childhood trauma and HIV: Women at risk. New York: Taylor & Francis.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wingood, G. M., & DiClemente, R. J. (1997). The effects of an abusive primary partner on the condom use and sexual negotiation practices of African-American women. American Journal of Public Health, 87, 1016–1018.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wingood, G., M., & DiClemente, R. J. (1998). Partner influences and gender-related factors associated with noncondom use among young adult African American women. American Journal of Community Psychology, 26, 29–51.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wyatt, G. E. (1985). The sexual abuse of African-American and White American women in childhood. Child Abuse and Neglect, 10, 231–240.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wyatt, G. E. (1994). The sociocultural relevance of sex research: Challenges for the 1990s and beyond. American Psychologist, 49, 748–754.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wyatt, G. E., Newcomb, M. D., & Riederle M. H. (1993). Sexual abuse and consensual sex.Newbury Park: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Rhode Island, USA

    Kathryn Quina, Lisa L. Harlow, Patricia J. Morokoff & Gary Burkholder

  2. Rocky Hill, CT

    Pamela J. Deiter

Authors
  1. Kathryn Quina
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Lisa L. Harlow
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Patricia J. Morokoff
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Gary Burkholder
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Pamela J. Deiter
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Quina, K., Harlow, L.L., Morokoff, P.J. et al. Sexual Communication in Relationships: When Words Speak Louder Than Actions. Sex Roles 42, 523–549 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007043205155

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007043205155

Keywords

Search

Navigation