Relationship Between Sociosexuality and Condom Use Frequency Among Young French College Students

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Sociology
• Public Health

Background:

• Sociosexuality encompasses attitudes, behaviors, and desires for casual sex, often reflected in 'hookup culture'.
• Risky sexual behaviors within casual sex contexts warrant investigation, particularly among young adults.
• Understanding sociosexuality is crucial for public health initiatives promoting safer sex.

Purpose of the Study:

• To adapt and validate the Sociosexual Orientation Inventory-Revised (SOI-R) for a French-speaking population.
• To investigate the relationship between sociosexuality and condom use among French college students.
• To explore mediating factors influencing sociosexuality and sexual behaviors.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 1037 college students (mean age 18.7 years).
• Psychometric evaluation of the French adaptation of the SOI-R.
• Path modeling to analyze relationships between sociosexuality, optimism, boredom proneness, demographics, and condom use.

Main Results:

• Gender and sexual orientation influenced sociosexuality levels, with males and non-heterosexual individuals reporting higher sociosexuality.
• Dispositional optimism positively predicted higher sociosexuality, while boredom proneness did not.
• Sociosexuality positively correlated with safer sex practices and was not associated with condomless sex.

Conclusions:

• The French adaptation of the SOI-R demonstrates good psychometric properties.
• Sociosexuality is a significant predictor of safer sex behaviors among young college students.
• Sexual freedom, as indicated by higher sociosexuality, does not necessarily equate to irresponsible sexual behavior in this population.