SEXUAL ATTITUDES AND CONTRACEPTIVE BEHAVIOR REVISITED - CAN THERE BE TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING

A longitudinal study was performed to explore a possible curvilinear r elationship between sexual attitudes and contraceptive behavior. A com munity sample of 62 women recorded their sexual and contraceptive beha vior for five consecutive weeks using daily diary reports. During an i nitial testing session, participants were asked to report their contra ceptive behavior in the Last month and to predict their contraceptive behavior for the coming month. Women reported using less effective con traceptive methods during the five weeks than they had for the month p rior to the study and than they had predicted for the month concurrent with the study. Both the consistency and effectiveness of women's con traceptive behavior over the five weeks was found to have a quadratic (inverted-U) relationship with their sexual attitude, as measured by t he Sexual Opinion Survey. The results are discussed with respect to bi ases inherent in subjective retrospective data and the possible link b etween an extremely positive emotional orientation toward sexuality an d willingness to engage in high-risk sexual behavior.