Official websites use. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Correspondence: Ashlee A. Box , Richmond, VA , Fax: , mooreaa2 vcu. Impulsivity and extraversion have demonstrated associations with risky sexual behavior RSB and potentially traumatic events PTEs. The current study aims to investigate the relationships between personality i. Analyses were also conducted to examine the potential mediating effect of interpersonal PTEs on the relationship between personality and RSB.
Impulsivity and extraversion were significantly positively associated with RSB. This is the first study to date to simultaneously examine the relationship between personality, RSB, and types of PTEs in a large sample of young adults.
Exposure to interpersonal trauma appears to be a salient factor in the relationship between personality, specifically impulsivity, and RSB. These results indicate that college students may benefit from education regarding the potential negative outcomes of RSB, and that individuals with a history of interpersonal PTEs may be at increased risk for sexual risk taking. Risky behaviors, including risky sexual behavior RSB , are prevalent among college-aged individuals Cooper, ; Douglas et al.
The time period of adolescence and early adulthood is characterized by substantial brain development Pfefferbaum, et al. Examples of these behaviors include having more than one sexual partner, using unreliable methods of birth control, and sexual behaviors without the use of a condom.
Although RSB is defined by the behaviors, not the consequences of the behaviors, RSB is correlated with several negative outcomes e. Given the potential adverse sequelae associated with RSB, increased attention on factors contributing to engagement in such behavior is warranted to help inform prevention efforts. Exposure to potentially traumatic events PTEs is a common occurrence, with about 1 in 20 men and 1 in 9 women reporting exposure to an event during their lifetime Kessler et al.
