The Relationship Between Psychological Temporal Perspective and HIV/STI Risk Behaviors Among Male Sex Workers in Mexico City

Abstract

Men who have sex with men (MSM) face a disproportionate burden of HIV incidence and HIV prevalence, particularly young men who have sex with men. The aim of this article was to analyze the relation between a psychological temporal perspective and HIV/sexually transmitted infection (STI) risk behaviors among male sex workers (MSWs), a potentially highly present-oriented group of MSM. A total sample of 326 MSWs were included and responded to a validated psychological scale: the Zimbardo’s Time Perspective Inventory; they also reported how frequently they engaged in protective behaviors against HIV and other STI risks behaviors, including condom use with casual and regular partners, as well as prior HIV testing. We adjusted structural equation models to analyze the relation between a psychological temporal perspective and HIV/STI risk behaviors. We found that orientation toward the past was correlated with decreased condom use with casual partners (β= −0.18; CI95% −0.23, −0.12). Future orientation was not associated with condom use with casual partners. Regarding condom use with regular partners, past and present orientation were related to lower likelihood of condom use (β= −0.23; CI95% −0.29, −0.17; β= −0.11; CI95% −0.19, −0.02), whereas future orientation increased the likelihood of condom use with regular partners (β=0.40; CI95% 0.31, 0.50). Time orientation (past, present, or future) did not predict the probability of having an HIV test. The design of HIV/STI prevention programs among vulnerable populations, such as MSM and MSWs, should consider specific time-frame mechanisms that can importantly affect sexual risk behavior decisions.

Perspectiva temporal: discussões sobre a aplicação do conceito na área da saúde e enfermagem [Time perspective: discussions on the application of the concept in the area of health and nursing] [Perspectiva temporal: discusiones sobre la aplicación del concepto en el área de la salud y de la enfermería]

“…A perspectiva temporal também pode estar relacionada com práticas que aumentam a vulnerabilidade para infecções sexualmente transmissíveis [27][28] . Também há indícios de que o passado-negativo ou o presente-fatalista podem estar relacionados com comportamentos suicidas em estudantes do ensino médio 29 .…”

Differences in Sexual Delay Discounting Among In-Treatment Adults with Opioid Use Disorder

“…Additionally, future time perspective was not associated with condom use with casual partners, but greater orientation toward the future was associated with more frequent condom use with regular partners (Sosa-Rubí et al, 2018). The seemingly inconsistent association of future time perspective with condom use could be due to the contingencies surrounding condom-less sexual intercourse for sex workers, that is with casual partners condom use were overall lower but financial incentives could be driving this behavior more than time perspective (Sosa-Rubí et al, 2018). Other research has shown that future time perspective is related to monetary delay-discounting (Cosenza, Griffiths, Nigro, & Ciccarelli, 2017;Gollner, Ballhausen, Kliegel, & Forstmeier, 2017); however, monetary delay-discounting has also been shown to be a distinct type of decision-making when compared to sexual discounting (Jarmolowicz, Bickel, & Gatchalian, 2013;Johnson & Bruner, 2012).…”

“…Socioemotional Selectivity Theory provides a decision-making framework that postulates decision-making is associated with valuations of time (open or restricted) and that the perception of time as finite, or close to the end, changes our evaluation of goals and behaviors (Carstensen, 1991). In a study of male sex workers in Mexico, those with higher future time perspective had reported higher condom use (Sosa-Rubí et al, 2018). Additionally, future time perspective was not associated with condom use with casual partners, but greater orientation toward the future was associated with more frequent condom use with regular partners (Sosa-Rubí et al, 2018).…”

“…In a study of male sex workers in Mexico, those with higher future time perspective had reported higher condom use (Sosa-Rubí et al, 2018). Additionally, future time perspective was not associated with condom use with casual partners, but greater orientation toward the future was associated with more frequent condom use with regular partners (Sosa-Rubí et al, 2018). The seemingly inconsistent association of future time perspective with condom use could be due to the contingencies surrounding condom-less sexual intercourse for sex workers, that is with casual partners condom use were overall lower but financial incentives could be driving this behavior more than time perspective (Sosa-Rubí et al, 2018).…”

“…Life-span developmental psychology is interested in individual differences in growth and decline across the life-span (Baltes, 1987). Sexual decision-making is a complex process that can be affected by various contextual factors (Carrier Emond, Nolet, Cyr, Rouleau, & Gagnon, 2016) and individual differences such as: future time perspective (Sosa-Rubí, Salinas-Rodríguez, Montoya-Rodríguez, & Galárraga, 2018); sexual arousal (Ariely & Loewenstein, 2006;Jarmolowicz et al, 2014;Johnson et al, 2017;Lawyer & Schoepflin, 2013); condom attitudes (Shih et al, 2011); and gender (Johnson & Bruner, 2013;Lawyer & Schoepflin, 2013). As highlighted in this section, these individual differences have been addressed to a limited degree in sexual-discounting literature.…”