Abstract
Background Increased risky sexual behaviors (RSB) in sexual minority people relative to heterosexual individuals are well documented. However, the role of trans-diagnostic factors that are not sexual orientation-specific, such as self-criticism, in predicting RSB was understudied. The present study aimed to test participants’ gender and sexual orientation as moderators between self-criticism and RSB.MethodsData were collected during 2019. The total sample included 986 sexual minority people (Nwomen = 51%) and 853 heterosexual people (Nwomen = 46%), ranging from 18 to 35 years of age. Self-criticism dimensions (self-hate, self-inadequacy, self-reassurance), types of positive affect (relaxed, safe/content, and activated affect), and RSB were assessed. Bivariate, multivariate analyses, and moderated regression analyses were conducted.ResultsSexual minority participants showed higher levels of RSB, self-hate, and self-inadequacy than heterosexual people. Only in sexual minority men, RSB correlated positively with self-hate and negatively with safe/content positive affect. Moderated regressions showed that only for sexual minority participants, higher RSB were predicted by higher levels of self-hate. At the same time, this association was not significant for heterosexual people controlling the effects of age, presence of a stable relationship, other self-criticism dimensions, and activation safe/content affect scale. The two-way interaction between sexual orientation and gender was significant, showing that regardless of self-hate, the strength of the association between sexual orientation and RSB is stronger for sexual minority men than sexual minority women and heterosexual participants.ConclusionsFindings highlight the distinctive role of self-hate in the occurrence of RSB in sexual minority people and support the usefulness of developing a compassion-focused intervention to target self-hate in sexual minority people.
Highlights
A burgeoning body of literature has been underlining that risky sexual behaviors (RSB) and high rates of sexually transmitted infections are more prevalent among sexual1 3 Vol.:(0123456789)Sexuality Research and Social Policy or abortions (Chawla & Sarkar, 2019; Kann et al, 2018, World Health Organization, 2018)
Despite the efforts to identify these factors that can explain elevated RSB rates in sexual minority people, few studies have investigated the disparities in correlates and predictors of RSB of sexual minority people compared to heterosexual people
Few studies have investigated the disparities in correlates and predictors of RSB of sexual minority people compared to heterosexual people
Summary
A burgeoning body of literature has been underlining that risky sexual behaviors (RSB) and high rates of sexually transmitted infections are more prevalent among sexual1 3 Vol.:(0123456789)Sexuality Research and Social Policy or abortions (Chawla & Sarkar, 2019; Kann et al, 2018, World Health Organization, 2018). Studies on RSB have prevalently focused on men participants and showed that sexual minority men reported a greater probability of RSB and HIV infection than heterosexual men (Glick et al, 2012; Mustanski et al, 2011; Weatherburn et al, 2019). Results Sexual minority participants showed higher levels of RSB, self-hate, and self-inadequacy than heterosexual people. Moderated regressions showed that only for sexual minority participants, higher RSB were predicted by higher levels of self-hate. This association was not significant for heterosexual people controlling the effects of age, presence of a stable relationship, other self-criticism dimensions, and activation safe/content affect scale. The two-way interaction between sexual orientation and gender was significant, showing that regardless of self-hate, the strength of the association between sexual orientation and RSB is stronger for sexual minority men than sexual minority women and heterosexual participants. Conclusions Findings highlight the distinctive role of self-hate in the occurrence of RSB in sexual minority people and support the usefulness of developing a compassion-focused intervention to target self-hate in sexual minority people
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