Good body image means risky sex
2006-03-24 19:10
New York - Young men who feel good about
their looks are more likely than their peers with a less
positive body image to engage in risky sexual behavior, a new
study of college students shows.
The men who were most satisfied with their appearance, and
the most appearance-oriented - meaning they were highly
invested in their looks and considered appearance to be
important - were also the most likely to have sex without
condoms and to have sex with multiple partners, Dr. Eva Lefkowitz of Pennsylvania State University in University Park
and colleagues report.
"There's kind of a general belief that a positive view of
your body is a good thing," Lefkowitz said in an interview with
Reuters Health. "We're not saying that's not true, but we do
think in the case of young men there could be potential
negative ramifications of a positive view of one's body."
Among young women, in contrast, those with a more positive
body image were less likely to engage in risky sexual behavior,
Lefkowitz and her team found.
The researchers interviewed 434 students, ranging in age
from 17 to 19, during their first year of college. 59% reported being sexually active. Just over two-thirds of
sexually active students said they didn't use condoms every
time they had sex, while a little over half said they used
alcohol while having sex at least some of the time.
While sexually active students reported less
dissatisfaction with their looks and a more positive body image
on average, "it's important to point out that we don't know
which comes first," Lefkowitz said. People who feel better
about their looks may be more likely to have sex, or being
sexually active may confer a better body image, she explained.
As the researchers hypothesized, men with better body
images had more lifetime sex partners and were less likely to
use condoms during sex, while women who felt more positively
about their looks had fewer partners and used condoms more
frequently.
The findings show, Lefkowitz and her team conclude, that
high self-esteem in terms of appearance may not be protective
for young men, but instead may put them in danger of taking
risks sexually.
Parents sending sons off to college may want to consider
"really emphasizing not just go forth and feel good about
yourself, but also within those messages emphasizing the
importance of protecting yourself and respect for women,"
Lefkowitz advised.