Engaging in healthy sexual decision making: The role of protective factors from an ecological systems perspective

Abstract

A sample of 235 emerging adults at a southeastern university was surveyed about past and current sexual decision-making. Researchers investigated the role of protective factors in early and current sexual decision-making to better understand what factors positively influence healthy sexual decision-making (HSDM). Researchers hypothesized that the more protective factors experienced, the higher likelihood healthy sexual decisions would be made. Three healthy sexual decision-making scales were created (early, current-in a relationship, and current-not in a relationship) using five variables (monogamy, sexual discussions, drug/alcohol use, condom use, and female birth control use). Ten independent variables (age, gender, race/ethnicity, early religiosity, community quality, sex education, comfort in communication, parental monitoring, self-esteem, and extra-curricular activities) were entered into a hierarchical multiple regression with early HSDM as the dependent variable. Seven independent variables (age, gender, race/ethnicity, current religiosity, sex education, comfort in communication, self-esteem, and early HSDM) were entered into two hierarchical multiple regressions for both current-HSDM-in a relationship and current HSDM-not in a relationship. Results suggest that parental monitoring was the only protective factor that was a significant predictor of early healthy sexual decision-making when controlling for other variables. For both current-HSDM scales, early HSDM was a significant predictor of healthy sexual decision-making. Therefore, early healthy sexual decision-making is essential in creating the foundation for healthy sexual decision-making in the future. Emphasis should also be put on this important opportunity parents have to help their children develop into healthy sexual adults by way of parental monitoring.