Adolescent Oral Contraceptive Use: Factors Predicting Compliance at 3 and 12 Months
Wyn Kalagian, Regional Niagara Public Health Department, Terry Delmore, Halton Regional Health and Social Services Departments, Irene Loewen, Jacquie Herman & Associates, and Cheryl Busca, Regional Niagara Public Health Department, St. Catherines, Ontario.

Oral contraceptives (OCs) are the most popular method of birth control among teenage women in Canada. This study measured short- and long-term OC compliance among 477 adolescent women attending birth control centres. In addition, we assessed the association of 21 socio-demographic, relationship, and sexuality variables with continuance of oral contraceptive use at 3 and 12 month follow-ups. At the 3 month follow-up data were obtained from 98.5% of the original sample, with 76.2% reporting that they were continuing OC users. Multivariate analysis indicated that at 3 month follow-up, higher grade at school, mothers support for birth control use, having a boyfriend, and frequency of sexual intercourse were predictive of OC compliance. At the 12 month follow-up, data were obtained from 87.4% of the original sample, with 48.9% reporting that they had remained compliant OC users. Multivariate analysis indicated that at 12 month follow-up, higher grade at school, being a non-smoker, and father's support for birth control use were predictive of OC compliance. The findings are discussed in relation to the provision of birth control services to adolescent women. (The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 1998; 7: 1-8)

Information, Motivation and Behaviour as Predictors of AIDS Risk Reduction among Canadian First Year University Students
Roula Hawa, Brenda E. Munro, and Maryanne Doherty-Poirier, University of Alberta.

Large numbers of Canadian university students engage in sexual behaviours that increase their risk of HIV infection. This study uses Fisher and Fisher's (1992) information-motivation-behavioural skills (IMB) model for AIDS risk reduction as a theoretical framework to identify predictors of HIV/AIDS risk reduction behaviours among first year university students. A secondary analysis of data from the Canada, Youth, and AIDS Study (King et al., 1988) was used to test two hypotheses: (1) knowledge about HIV/AIDS and motivation to perform AIDS preventive behaviours will account for AIDS preventive behavioural skills; and (2) motivation to perform AIDS preventive behaviours, and AIDS preventive behavioural skills, will predict AIDS preventive behaviours as measured by frequency of condom use and lifetime number of sexual intercourse partners. Results indicated that two measures of knowledge related to AIDS risk and condom use, all measures of motivation (intention, subjective norms, attitudes) and three control variables (gender, age, father's education) explained up to 12% of the variance in AIDS preventive behavioural skills. Measures of motivation, behavioural skills, and two control variables (age and gender) contributed significantly to the prediction of condom use and number of sexual partners. The findings are discussed in relation to the provision of HIV/AIDS risk reduction programming for university students.(The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 1998; 7: 9-18)

Impact of an AIDS Prevention Video on AIDS-Related Perceptions
B.J. Rye, Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario.

Videos are an important component of many AIDS prevention programs. This study evaluates the impact of the video "People Like Us" on university students. Three analyses were conducted. First, scores on the AIDS Opinion Survey were compared between an intervention group (n=110) that completed the survey after viewing the video and a control group (n=121) that did not see the video. Intervention subjects had a significantly greater fear of AIDS and perceived risk of contracting AIDS than did controls. In the second analysis, a separate sample of students (n=94) completed the AIDS Opinion Survey before and after viewing the video. After viewing the video, subjects had significantly greater fear of AIDS and perceived risk of contracting AIDS than before viewing the video. In the third analysis, subjects (n=110) who had viewed the video used a free response questionnaire and checklist of safer sex behaviours to indicate those behaviours they intended to adopt as a result of seeing the video. Among the findings were that 56% reported that they intend to use condoms in the future, 55% intend to talk to their partner about safer sex, and 28% reported that they would get an HIV test as a result of seeing the video. The results suggest that the video "People Like Us" is an effective tool for promoting safer sex within AIDS prevention programs. (The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 1998; 7: 19-30)

The Predictive Utility of an Expanded AIDS Risk Reduction Model (ARRM) among Adult Gay and Bisexual Men
J. Roy Gillis, University of Toronto, Heino F. L. Meyer-Bahlburg, Theresa M. Exner, and Anke A. Ehthardt, HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies, New York State Psychiatric Institute.

The usefulness of considering additional explanatory variables to predict the sexual risk behaviour of urban gay men within the framework of the AIDS Risk Reduction Model (ARRM) was assessed using a sample of 119 gay and bisexual men living in New York city. The current study revealed that for the existing ARRM, the stages of labelling (identifying oneself at risk for HIV) and commitment (forming an intention to change one's risk behaviour) were not well predicted by the model's variables. More predictive accuracy for sexual risk behaviour was obtained for the enactment stage (actual behaviour change) where higher sexual risk behaviour was associated with both self-reported difficulties maintaining safer sex and lack of endorsement of monogamy as the preferred form of sexual relationships. Prediction of sexual risk behaviour improved substantially when previous level of sexual risk behaviour was obtained when sexual risk behaviour was considered as a result of earlier ARRM stages of labelling and commitment, previous level of sexual risk behaviour, and supplementary enactment stage-specific predictors. Age and HIV status were not found to be significant predictors of sexual risk behaviour for this sample. However, sex guilt, intentions to engage in safer sex, safer sex efficacy, and self-deception were identified as important variables to consider when assessing sexual risk behaviour for HIV transmission in urban gay men. Suggestions are made as to how to incorporate the current findings within existing HIV/AIDS educational and prevention programs.  (The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 1998; 7: 31-50)

Learning to Strip: The Socialization Experiences of Exotic Dancers
Jacqueline Lewis, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Windsor.

Data obtained through field observations and interviews with dancers and other strip club employees are used to address the process of becoming an exotic dancer. As with entering any new job or social role, becoming an exotic dancer requires a process of socialization. For exotic dancers, this process involves getting accustomed to working in a sex-related occupation, and the practice of taking their clothes off in public for money. The occupational socialization of exotic dancers also involves learning how to put on a good show or performance. As with any successful performer, dancers need to learn how to use impression management skills to create an illusion that will allow to control/manipulate their audience in order to achieve some specified goal (i.e., money, reputation, etc.). Experienced dancers can play an important role in the socialization process of novice dancers. Through observing and interacting with dancers more experienced than themselves, novices learn how to dress, dance, and interact with customers for profit. Members of the dancing subculture can also assist novice dancers by providing them with a vocabulary of motives that allows them to rationalize their behaviour and retain a valued sense of self despite the stigma associated with the job. (The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 98; 7:51-66)