Sex and Consequences: Sexual Behavior at a Predominately White Liberal Arts College

• In Event: 306 - Section on Sociology of Sexualities Roundtables (one-hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 02. Intersectionality

Abstract

This study uses quantitative survey data from 164 undergraduate students at a predominately white institution (PWI) to answer questions about the sexual health practices of Black students in these environments. It asks (1) are students making riskier sexual health choices by race. And (2) if so, then what social factors are contributing to those deviations? The limited body of research on risky sexual health practices in the U.S. suggests such behavior is heavily dependent on race, yet ignores how the social positions of race and gender-based groups on campus affect decision-making in this regard. This research adds to the current literature on STI transmission on college campuses by exploring the social contexts which are leaving young, Black women at disproportionate risk for contracting HIV/AIDS, and aims to examine Black sexual health practices in a predominantly white college setting in order to make recommendations for sexual health and sexual education policies at the high school and college level.

This research identifies a combination of community-based norms and behavioral expectations impacting condom usage and the spread of STIs among college students in the site of research. The findings of this study did not support the hypothesis that there are multiple sub-populations of students who face differential HIV risks. However, a low response among Black students challenges our ability to make substantial claims through statistical analysis. Rather, the low response rate itself may speak to the political climate in which the data was collected and/or the communication networks of African Americans at PWIs.

Authors

• Jasmine Leah Harris-LaMothe, University of Minnesota

• Erin Currey, Wake Forest University