Moral norms and emotions affecting protected sex in women from different sociocultural contexts

Three studies conducted in different socio-cultural contexts (Italy, Spain, Netherlands) investigated the role of moral norms and emotions in promoting safe sex among sexually active young women, considering the role of their past behaviour. A 2 (Emotions: positive vs negative) x 2 (moral norms: salient vs not salient) experimental design was adopted presenting women with different persuasive messages. Participants (NI =235, NE=82, NNL=123) were divided into groups based on their past experience of casual sex (some vs none). Study 1. Moral norms had a significant effect on young women’s negotiation self-efficacy, while they interacted with emotions in affecting estimated condom use and the Withholding condom influence strategy in women without past casual sex. Emotions had a main effect on negotiation self-efficacy and estimated condom use among women with past experience of casual sex. Study 2. Emotions and moral norms interacted in influencing negotiation self-efficacy, intended and estimated condom use in women with past experience of casual sex. There was no significant effect of emotions or moral norms in women who had never had casual sex. Study 3. An interaction effect between norms and emotions was found on participants’ intentions, negotiation self-efficacy and some condom influence strategies (Seduction and Deception) among respondents without past experience of casual sex. The results of these studies suggest that interventions aimed at fostering condom use among women should be tailored carefully, as the same message might not be equally effective for different targets.