Table 2 Summary of themes resulting from analysis of individual, relationship/partner, and event circumstances levels

Emotional factors

Comments about trust, familiarity with the partner, and developing an emotional connection with specific partners that influenced decisions to use condoms

Drug and alcohol use

Discussions of the influence of drugs and alcohol on the respondents experience and attitude towards unprotected sex

Concern about Pregnancy and STIs

Respondent’s concern or lack of concern about pregnancy and STI risk that influenced their risk taking decisions across different events and partners

Relationship type

Discussions of the relationship between categories or types of partners and risk evaluation/unprotected sex

Sexual arousal

Discussions of how momentary feelings of sexual arousal affected decision making about engaging in unprotected sex

Concern about Pregnancy and STIs

Respondent’s concern or lack of concern about pregnancy and STI risk that influenced their risk taking decisions across different events and partners

Perceived partner preferences

Decisions about protection that were dictated by the preferences of partners

Communication about Risk

Descriptions of interactions between partners that lead to decisions to engage in or not engage in unprotected sex

Perceived partner characteristics

Descriptions of calculations about risk based on perceived or observable characteristics of the partners that are related to increased or decreased risk of transmitting an STD

Relationship trajectory and risk

Discussions about how the respondent and a particular partner either changed or did not change their pattern of protection over time and what affected the change in protection or what would or would not affect the pattern of their behavior with the partner