7 - (IOP 28) The Impact of Rejection Sensitivity and Romantic Relationship Satisfaction on Sexual Health Communication Among Partnered Adolescent Sexual Minority Males

Background: Nearly a quarter of new HIV infections are among youth aged 13 to 24 years old. Male sexual minority youth disproportionately represent those impacted by HIV and account for approximately 93% of new infections among youth. Early epidemiologic data estimate that most new HIV diagnoses occur between main romantic partners; yet studies examining romantic relationships and sexual health among sexual minority males are limited. This study aims to fill this gap by examining rejection sensitivity and romantic relationship satisfaction as predictors of sexual health communication.

Methods: Data from Project Connect, a quantitative cross-sectional survey of partnered, adolescent sexual minority males (ASMM), were analyzed in this study. ASMM (n = 50) were recruited using online advertisements posted on social media and geo-dating mobile application. Participants reported on demographics, perceived relationship quality inventory, rejection sensitivity questionnaire, and the sexual communication self-efficacy scale. Four linear regressions models (one for each outcome) were calculated to examine the effect of romantic relationship satisfaction and rejection sensitivity on domains of sexual health communication (sexual history, condom negotiation, negative messages, positive messages).

Results: Rejection sensitivity was negatively associated with all domains of sexual communication with their romantic partner including sexual history (β = -.55, p = < .001), condom negotiation (β = -.41, p = .006), and negative (β = -.68, p = < .001) and positive (β = -.35, p = .006) experiences of sex with their romantic partner. In contrast, relationship satisfaction was positively associated with both negative (β = 0.06, p = .008) and positive (β = .49, p < .001) experiences of sex, and was not significantly associated with either sexual history or condom negotiation.

Discussion: This study demonstrates the importance of romantic relationships in sexual health promotion. Anticipation or fear of being rejected may be a particularly important cognition pattern that inhibits ASMM from engaging in conversations around sexual health with their romantic partners. Affirmative cognitive behavioral therapy is well suited to challenge these cognitions within a framework that recognizes past experiences of rejection and validates their sexual minority identity.