Risk reduction and sexual risk behaviours and intentions

Reported effects on risk reduction and sexual risk behaviour outcomes varied across studies and outcomes. Despite reporting a positive effect on risk reduction behaviour intention in a previous study [55], Peragallo et al. (2012) identified no effect on self-efficacy for HIV prevention in a subsequent study [47]. Other studies showed positive effects on perceived behaviour control [41], intention [65], skills [59], and self-efficacy to negotiate safer sex [46,53] and communicate with partner [47,55,65]. Likewise, positive effects were observed on feelings of power in relationships [46], self-esteem [57], sexual assertiveness [65], as well as the intention to use condoms [47,53]. However, the positive effect on the intention to use condoms observed in Peragallo et al. (2012) at 6 months was not maintained at 12 months [47]. Positive effects were also reported on safer sex outcomes such as condom use [46,47,53,56,59], as well as related skills [44] and self-efficacy [46,60].

The reported effects on outcomes related to sexual risk behaviours were conflicting. While Peragallo et al. (2012) and Vega et al. (2011) demonstrated positive effects on intimate partner violence (IPV), drunkenness [47] and the number and type of sexual partners [57], respectively, Martinez-Donate et al. (2010) recognised contrasting effects on the number of incidences of unprotected sex with female partners between bisexual and heterosexual men [51]. However, the number of unprotected female sexual partners decreased in both groups, as well as the number of incidences of unprotected anal sex with male partners and unprotected male sexual partners among bisexual men during the post campaign [51].