COMMUNICATION OF SEXUAL RISK BEHAVIOR AMONG LATE ADOLESCENTS

A grounded theory approach was used to describe how males and females in late adolescence communicate with their sexual partners about sexua l risk behaviors. Interviews were audiotaped with 18 women and 15 men from a university in the southeastern United States. Verbatim transcri pts were analyzed using constant comparative analysis. Building trust was identified as the core variable for both men and women. For women, prerequisites for building trust were being involved in caring relati onships and indirectly gathering information about potential sexual pa rtners. For men, prerequisites were being involved in curing relations hips and using their instincts. Women usually initiated safe-sex talk, but men were willing to discuss it, once the conversation was initiat ed. Findings can serve as a guide for developing nursing strategies th at promote more effective communication about sexual risk behavior in this age group.