Relation between perceived
vulnerability to HIV and precautionary sexual behavior
Meg Gerrard, Frederick X.
Gibbons, Brad J. Bushman
(1996) Psychological Bulletin,
119, 390-409.
Although virtually all major
theories of health-protective behavior assume that precautionary behavior is
related to perceived vulnerability, the applicability of this assumption to
human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) preventive behavior has recently been called
into question. This article uses qualitative and quantitative methods to review
and integrate the literature relevant to the relation between perceived
vulnerability to HIV and precautionary sexual behavior. Specifically, the
purpose of the article is to determine whether the extant research supports 2
hypotheses regarding this relation: (a) Perceptions of personal vulnerability
to HIV are reflections of current and recent risk and precautionary behavior,
and (b) these perceptions motivate precautionary sexual behavior. In addition,
it examines the conceptual and methodological strengths and weaknesses of the
empirical literature on these questions and provides recommendations for future
research.