Unlike popular belief, whether it’s the man or the woman who suggests using a condom makes no difference to how he or she is viewed. What matters, in fact, is how the woman suggests it. If she highlights her sexuality by incorporating condoms into the sexual scenario as an erotic and fun activity, other women judge her more harshly than they would if she simply refuses to have sex without a condom or shares her concerns about sexually transmitted infections.
There are approximately 19 million new cases of sexually transmitted infections each year in the US, and nearly half of these occur among young people under the age of 25. Safer sexual practices rely on the use of condoms and there is some evidence that how couples communicate about, and negotiate, condom use influences how the proposer is viewed and whether or not condoms are actually used during intercourse.
Studies and surveys show that condom proposers were seen as more mature and less romantic than individuals who did not suggest condom use. The woman was not evaluated more harshly than the man, and in fact, she was seen as less promiscuous when she proposed a condom than when she did not. Participants saw condom use as equally likely no matter who suggested its use.
Also, other females rated the female proposer as less nice, more promiscuous and less like the housewife type when she used the eroticisation strategy, suggesting that women are harsher on other women who highlight their sexuality. She was also seen as more exciting. Participants also perceived the couple as more likely to have sex when the female used the eroticisation strategy. There was no difference in how the female’s character was rated whether she used the refusal or explanation strategy – both traditional strategies.
Researchers observed that this line of research has implications for both, basic research on gender roles as well as applied research into the development of sexual risk reduction intervention content for men and women on how to communicate effectively about safe sex practices.
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