Adolescent males' sexual behavior and contraceptive use: implications for male responsibility

A recent US survey of single 17-21 year old men, indicated that 17.1% used a condom at 1st intercourse and 15.5% used a condom at the most recent intercourse. Withdrawal is also used: 10.0% and 7.4% respectively. Condom use was correlated with being older at 1st intercourse, having a higher educational level, closer association to partner, and sense of male contraceptive responsibility. The data used for this analysis was taken from a sub-sample of 624 sexually active males in 1979. The mean age at 1st intercourse was 14.8 years and mean age at most recent was 18.9 years. The pill was also used at 1st intercourse (8.8%) and a total of 43.5% used some method of contraception. In the most recent intercourse cases, 64.7% used some method of birth control and the pill was used 26.5% , condom 15.5%, and withdrawal 7.4%. Conclusions from this data indicate that male methods are important in teen contraception. Condom use at 1st and most recent intercourse was related to both positive and negative characteristics. It appears that males show some contraceptive responsibility initially but later give the responsibility to females. The declining use of condoms indicates it to be a transitional form of birth control. Programs should promote continued use of condoms since use of the pill is low and unwanted pregnancy risk is high. Communication on contraception should be encouraged, so both partners are aware if neither one is contracepting. With the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome epidemic, condom use takes on a whole new context in relation to the decline in use by adolescents.     

Attitudes toward male roles among adolescent males: A discriminant validity analysis

This study investigates the discriminant validity of a measure of attitudes toward male roles, i.e., beliefs about the importance of men adhering to cultural defined standards for masculinity. Using data from the 1988 National Survey of Adolescent Males, the Male Role Attitude Scale (MRAS) is evaluated in terms of (1) its independence from measures of attitudes toward female roles, and of attitudes toward gender roles and relationships, and (2) its differential correlates with and incremental ability to explain variance in criterion variables compared to measures of these two other gender-related attitudes. As predicted, the MRAS is unrelated to attitudes toward the female role, but is significantly associated with attitudes toward gender roles and relationships. As further predicted, the MRAS, but not attitudes toward women or attitudes toward gender roles and relationships, is associated with homophobic attitudes toward male homosexuality and with traditional male procreative attitudes. In addition, the MRAS explains significant incremental variance in these criterion measures when attitude toward female roles and attitude toward gender roles and relationships are controlled for. These results support the theoretical argument that attitudes toward male roles are conceptually distinct from the other gender-related attitudes examined here.This research was supported by grants from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and from the Office of Adolescent Pregnancy Programs. The authors wish to thank James Kershaw, Susan Wellington, and Elizabeth Crane for their assistance.