Abstract

Rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are at an all-time high (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2021; Kreisel et al., 2021; Merman, 2021), and disproportionately impact women of color. Understanding the factors that coalesce to create elevated risk for Black women is critical for more effective prevention/intervention to reduce risks and negative health outcomes. This study extended previous research by examining the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the mediating influences of psychosocial factors (i.e., body image, perceived partner availability, and self-efficacy for condom negotiation) on sexual-risk decision making (i.e., condom use) in Black women during emerging adulthood. The TPB model demonstrated a good fit within the whole sample and the sample of highly educated Black women, with attitudes, social norms, and perceived behavioral control predicting condom intentions and intentions predicting condom use. Perceived partner availability mediated the linkages among intentions and use in the full sample and condom negotiation self-efficacy related to condom use. Black women who are more highly educated perceived a more limited pool of partners and this may have implications for their sexual health. The findings from this study help identify patterns that may differentially impact self-protective behaviors in sexual encounters to promote diversity-affirming prevention/intervention to reduce high rates of STIs in minority women.