Trust in romantic relationships among Black women influences safer sexual decision-making in complex ways, functioning as both a buffer against risk and a barrier to safer sex practices, suggesting that concepts of trust should be addressed in interventions seeking to improve the sexual health of Black women.
Black women are disproportionately impacted by HIV, being diagnosed at eight times the rate of White women and three times that of Latinas.
Nine focus groups were conducted with 56 Black women who have sex with men to examine how trust affects sexual health decision-making.
Trust was found to buffer perceived risk of physical and emotional harm, which could reduce engagement in safer sex behaviors.
Experiences of broken trust were found to encourage safer sex behavior among Black women.
Trust dynamics influenced sexual communication anxiety, affecting women's ability to negotiate safer sex with partners.
The study concludes that differing forms of trust should be addressed in interventions seeking to improve the sexual health of Black women.
This research suggests that trust plays a complex and sometimes contradictory role in how Black women make decisions about safer sex. When Black women feel they can trust a partner, they are more likely to forgo protective measures like condoms, believing that trust itself reduces their risk. On the other hand, when trust is broken — for example, through a partner's infidelity or dishonesty — women often become more motivated to protect themselves by using condoms or getting tested for STIs. Trust also shapes how comfortable women feel having conversations about sexual health with their partners, with uncertain or low trust leading to greater anxiety about bringing up topics like condom use. The study involved 56 Black women who participated in nine focus groups, and researchers identified three key themes from their discussions. These findings are important because Black women in the United States are diagnosed with HIV at eight times the rate of White women and three times the rate of Latinas, with most transmission occurring through heterosexual sex. Understanding the social and emotional factors — like trust — that shape sexual decision-making is critical to addressing this disparity. This research suggests that HIV and sexual health programs aimed at Black women should directly address the concept of trust in relationships, rather than focusing solely on information about condoms or STI testing. By helping women navigate how trust influences their risk perception and communication with partners, interventions could be more effective at supporting safer sexual decision-making in real-world relationship contexts.
Abrams J, Pollock A, Tillett E, Ashcroft L, Levine M, Rutledge J, et al.. (2025). "I'm Trusting You with My Body": A Qualitative Examination of the Role of Trust in Safer Sexual Decision-Making Among Black Women.. Archives of sexual behavior. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-025-03133-2