Risk in New Sexual Relationships: Trajectories of Protection*

Abstract

Abstract How do sex risk and protection change over the course of a relationship? It is often claimed that protection generally declines over the course of relationships. This 3-year longitudinal study examines 412 new sexual relationships described by 126 adult participants and tests this claim. Analyses identify four relationship trajectories: only 15% of new sex relationships show a declining trajectory of protection; another 12% show only a temporary decline. Population average analyses previously interpreted to show a decline in protection are shown here to be is largely explained by the attrition of the low trust, high protection relationships that creates the association between higher trust and lower protection. The long-term relationships turn out mostly not to have been low trust, high protection relationships at the start. Instead they have mostly always been high trust, low protection relationships. Other proposed theories, notably self-protection and power theories are not supported, while drug use is supported for 15% of the sample. Only trust and secondary partners successfully account for the observed patterns of protection and attrition. Actors seem to be concerned to protect their partners, using more protection with a secondary partner who might provide a risk to the primary partner.