THE HEALTH BELIEF MODEL, SEXUAL BEHAVIORS, AND HIV RISK AMONG TAIWANESE IMMIGRANTS.

The article focuses on a study, which investigates Health Belief Model (HBM) constructs and sexual behaviors among Taiwanese immigrants in the United States. Results from an Internet survey of 144 respondents indicated that 11% of the participants were lesbian, gay or bisexual. The average age at first sexual intercourse was 21 years. Sixty-three percent were non-virgins, with 53% of the sample reported sexual intercourse in the past 12 months. A series of hierarchical multiple regression models indicated that participants who had more sexual partners and practiced more sexual intercourse tend to be more educated and more likely to be lesbian, gay or bisexual. After demographics were controlled, participants who had lower self-efficacy for maintaining a monogamous relationship were likely to have more sexual partners. Also, participants who used condom less consistently tend to have less self-efficacy for using a condom consistently but perceived AIDS as a more severe disease. Although HBM constructs, as a set, were able to predict Taiwanese immigrants' sexual behavior, self-efficacy constructs were shown to be the most reliable predictors.