Body appreciation, sexual relationship status, and protective sexual behaviors in women

Virginia Ramseyer Winter, Sonya Satinsky

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

26 Scopus citations

Abstract

The relationship between body appreciation and sexual risk reduction behavior in women is under-explored. This cross-sectional study examined the relationships between body appreciation, male condom use, and sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing among a community-based sample of women (n= 285). Logistic regression results revealed that after controlling for age, BMI, and sexual orientation, having more than one sexual partner moderated body appreciation and current male condom use (OR = 4.21, p < .01, CI= 1.510-11.726). Body appreciation was not a significant predictor of STI testing in the previous 12 months. This suggests that women with higher body appreciation may be more likely to engage in some protective sexual health behaviors. Interventions that seek to improve body appreciation instead of body size change such as weight loss or gain may encourage certain protective sexual behaviors in women.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)36-42
Number of pages7
JournalBody Image
Volume11
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 2014
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Body appreciation
  • Condom use
  • Protective sexual behaviors
  • Sexual relationships
  • STI testing

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Body appreciation, sexual relationship status, and protective sexual behaviors in women'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this