Illuminating the Context and Circumstances of Male Couples Establishing a Sexual Agreement in Their Relationship
A sexual agreement is an explicit mutual understanding made between two partners about which sexual and relational behaviors they agree to engage in within and/or outside of their relationship. Factors that prompt male couples to form a sexual agreement and under what circumstances remain underinves...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
SAGE Publishing
2017-05-01
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| Series: | American Journal of Men's Health |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1177/1557988316655528 |
| _version_ | 1819230178749972480 |
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| author | Jason W. Mitchell PhD, MPH Ji-Young Lee MPH Cory Woodyatt José Bauermeister PhD, MPH Patrick Sullivan PhD, DVM Rob Stephenson PhD |
| author_facet | Jason W. Mitchell PhD, MPH Ji-Young Lee MPH Cory Woodyatt José Bauermeister PhD, MPH Patrick Sullivan PhD, DVM Rob Stephenson PhD |
| author_sort | Jason W. Mitchell PhD, MPH |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | A sexual agreement is an explicit mutual understanding made between two partners about which sexual and relational behaviors they agree to engage in within and/or outside of their relationship. Factors that prompt male couples to form a sexual agreement and under what circumstances remain underinvestigated, yet are important considerations for development of couples-based sexual health and HIV prevention interventions. By using thematic analysis with qualitative dyadic data from a convenience sample of 29 HIV-negative male couples, the present study sought to describe the timing and investigate the context and circumstances that led male couples to establish a sexual agreement in their relationship at both the individual and couple levels, and by agreement type. Themes identified for when a sexual agreement was formed included within the first 6 months, and after 6 months in the relationship. Themes related to context and circumstances of couples’ sexual agreement formation were as follows: (a) desire for sexual exploration, (b) arisen circumstances or events with other men, (c) influences from past relationship(s) and/or other couples (i.e., peers), (d) to protect against HIV, and (e) purposeful conversations versus understood. Findings suggest HIV prevention efforts should include skill-building exercises to help improve communication and promote sex positivity within male couples’ relationships. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-23T11:24:57Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-99dd4be121314c94ac4dbb20a01630a5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1557-9883 1557-9891 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-23T11:24:57Z |
| publishDate | 2017-05-01 |
| publisher | SAGE Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | American Journal of Men's Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-99dd4be121314c94ac4dbb20a01630a52022-12-21T17:48:58ZengSAGE PublishingAmerican Journal of Men's Health1557-98831557-98912017-05-011110.1177/1557988316655528Illuminating the Context and Circumstances of Male Couples Establishing a Sexual Agreement in Their RelationshipJason W. Mitchell PhD, MPH0Ji-Young Lee MPH1Cory Woodyatt2José Bauermeister PhD, MPH3Patrick Sullivan PhD, DVM4Rob Stephenson PhD5University of Miami, Miami, FL, USAUniversity of Miami, Miami, FL, USAEmory University, Atlanta, GA, USAUniversity of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USAEmory University, Atlanta, GA, USAUniversity of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USAA sexual agreement is an explicit mutual understanding made between two partners about which sexual and relational behaviors they agree to engage in within and/or outside of their relationship. Factors that prompt male couples to form a sexual agreement and under what circumstances remain underinvestigated, yet are important considerations for development of couples-based sexual health and HIV prevention interventions. By using thematic analysis with qualitative dyadic data from a convenience sample of 29 HIV-negative male couples, the present study sought to describe the timing and investigate the context and circumstances that led male couples to establish a sexual agreement in their relationship at both the individual and couple levels, and by agreement type. Themes identified for when a sexual agreement was formed included within the first 6 months, and after 6 months in the relationship. Themes related to context and circumstances of couples’ sexual agreement formation were as follows: (a) desire for sexual exploration, (b) arisen circumstances or events with other men, (c) influences from past relationship(s) and/or other couples (i.e., peers), (d) to protect against HIV, and (e) purposeful conversations versus understood. Findings suggest HIV prevention efforts should include skill-building exercises to help improve communication and promote sex positivity within male couples’ relationships.https://doi.org/10.1177/1557988316655528 |
| spellingShingle | Jason W. Mitchell PhD, MPH Ji-Young Lee MPH Cory Woodyatt José Bauermeister PhD, MPH Patrick Sullivan PhD, DVM Rob Stephenson PhD Illuminating the Context and Circumstances of Male Couples Establishing a Sexual Agreement in Their Relationship American Journal of Men's Health |
| title | Illuminating the Context and Circumstances of Male Couples Establishing a Sexual Agreement in Their Relationship |
| title_full | Illuminating the Context and Circumstances of Male Couples Establishing a Sexual Agreement in Their Relationship |
| title_fullStr | Illuminating the Context and Circumstances of Male Couples Establishing a Sexual Agreement in Their Relationship |
| title_full_unstemmed | Illuminating the Context and Circumstances of Male Couples Establishing a Sexual Agreement in Their Relationship |
| title_short | Illuminating the Context and Circumstances of Male Couples Establishing a Sexual Agreement in Their Relationship |
| title_sort | illuminating the context and circumstances of male couples establishing a sexual agreement in their relationship |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1177/1557988316655528 |
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