Red social e interacciones sociales en jóvenes y su relación con conductas sexuales de riesgo

Resumo

The objectives of the study were to analyze the association between the individual and group way of relating to beliefs about alcohol consumption, perceptions about protective and risk factors for sexual health, and sexual behaviors; and to evaluate the differences according to sex, age, ethnicity and area in the sociometric indicators and in sexual behaviors. 984 students from universities in Ecuador participated, Mage=20.2, ±2.05, 53.7% women. It was found that the perceptual realism of rejections and total perceptual realism (individual indices) were associated with a greater consideration of alcohol as a facilitator of social interactions and expressiveness. These indices were related to more objective perceptions regarding their effects on sexual behaviors. Indices of positive affective connection, perceptual adjustment of choices and total perceptual realism, and group cohesion were associated with clearer perceptions about protective factors of sexual health. Regarding sexual behaviors, a greater perceptual realism was associated with an older age at the beginning of sexual relations; In addition, the more group disunity, position of influence and power as a leader, the lower the number of sexual partners. Of the sociodemographic variables analyzed, gender was the one that produced the most significant differences on the variables studied.