Unpacking the Gendered Nature of Sexual Health Information Seeking: The Role of Relationship Quality, Sexual Shame and Sexual Relationship Power.

Women during emerging adulthood are disproportionately susceptible to sexually transmitted infections due to biological and socioeconomic vulnerabilities. Central to safe sex is the process by which women seek information regarding their male partners' intentions to use condoms, which is complicated by the gendered nature of sexual risks and the influence of sociocultural factors. Drawing on the theory of motivated information management, we examined how relationship quality, sexual relationship power, and sexual shame were associated with sexual risk information-seeking among Chinese emerging adult women in committed heterosexual relationships. Analyses of data from 294 participants showed that relationship quality and sexual relationship power were positively associated with outcome expectancy and efficacy assessments, subsequently contributing to more information seeking behaviors about condom use. Additionally, higher levels of sexual shame were associated with lower levels of efficacy assessments, and the effect of shame on efficacy was completely mediated by negative emotions, relationship quality, and sexual relationship power. These findings contribute to theoretical understandings of sexual health information management situated within specific relational and socio-cultural contexts and offer practical implications for improving sexual negotiation in Chinese cultural contexts.