Delay Discounting and Sexual Decision-Making: Understanding Condom Use Behavior Among U.S. College Students

Condoms provide protection against sexually transmitted diseases; however, condomless sex remains common among college students and intentions to use condoms do not consistently translate into condom use. This study tested which indicator of condom use intentions from a delay discounting paradigm of condom-protected sex best accounted for variance in condom use behavior. The sample consisted of 187 sexually active college students (51.9% female) who completed measures of condom use during vaginal and anal sex over the past three months and a decision-making paradigm regarding condom intentions with hypothetical sexual partners. In separate models, condom behavior was regressed on one of three indicators of condom intentions: initial intentions to use a condom, delay discounting of condom-protected sex, and overall area under the curve across all trials. Results showed that delay discounting of condom-protected sex best accounted for variance in absolute frequency of condomless sex, whereas initial intentions to use a condom best accounted for variance in relative proportion of condomless sex. Future research directions and implications for interventions are discussed.