Romantic Relationships, Adolescence and HIV: Love as an Element of Vulnerability

Abstract

This study investigated the relation between love and different romantic relationships with variable vulnerability to HIV, such as sexual behavior and risk perception. Sternberg’s Triangular Love Scale and a structured questionnaire were used to ask 301 high school students about: romantic relationships, sexual behavior and risk perceptions. It was identified that the adolescents underestimate their own risk of contagion when they compare themselves with other individuals and also when they consider past and future possible HIV contagion. Love does not appear to be directly associated with the self-perception of risk, however, in conjunction with dating, it is a complicating factor for protected sex and was also related to the underestimation of risk of the partner. It was observed that stable relationships and love increase the students’ vulnerability to acquire HIV, because of the association of these with trust in the partner and the justification of risky practices, such as the non-use of condoms.

A Comparative Research of Sexual Behaviour and Risk Perception in Two Cohorts of Spanish University Students

“…This tendency to underestimate the risk of contracting HIV/AIDS when young people were in a stable relationship had been reported in previous studies (Aguilar & Camargo, 2014;Lameiras et al, 2002;Planes et al, 2005). In support of our results, the study by Aguilar and Camargo (2014) showed that as the romantic relationship progressed, the illusion of invulnerability increased and condom use was replaced by other measures such as the pill to prevent pregnancy. This led to a greater lack of protection against venereal diseases.…”

“…This led to a greater lack of protection against venereal diseases. It also showed that the ideal of romantic love was positively related to a greater sense of invulnerability to HIV/AIDS (Aguilar & Camargo, 2014).…”

A Question of Love and Trust? The Role of Relationship Factors in Adolescent Sexual Decision Making

“…As observed by our findings here, this problem may be magnified by social constructions that associate condom use with infidelity, promiscuity, and a lack of trust or love in a relationship 17 . As young people begin to love and trust their partners, they may transition to a belief that condom use is unnecessary and further, may be a barrier to the emotional and physical connection they desire 12 . Given that these early adolescent romantic relationships may represent a “training ground” of sorts for learning how to be a romantic partner, and that adolescent relationships tend to be of relatively short duration, it is would not be surprising for these young people to be particularly attuned to and wary of potential threats to their developing relationships.…”

“…In particular, predominantly assessed via survey methodology, across adolescent and adult studies, three relationship factors have been widely implicated in condom use in relationship contexts 12–16 : (1) length of the relationship inversely associated with the frequency of condom use, (2) frequency of intercourse, with more frequent sex correlating with less condom use, and (3) level of “trust” or “love” in the relationship, which is less well-understood, but may reflect the representation that youth in long-term monogamous relationships should not “need” condoms because of trust. Equally possible, youth may believe that condom interferes with intimacy, including true “love”, where should be no physical or emotional barriers.…”

Practices for the Prevention of Sexually Transmitted Infections Among University Students

“…This behavior can be associated with the feeling of trust in relation to the partner's loyalty. 20 Other studies 7,10,17,21 indicate that inconsistent condom use is associated not only with fidelity and trust in the partner, but also with the difficulty of negotiating its use, among other factors. Several research studies 10,17 have shown that there is a relationship between condom use and the type of partners, that is, people with steady relationships usually replace the condom with other contraceptive methods (such as oral hormonal contraceptives).…”