Female college students demonstrate a persistent lack of knowledge about safe sexual practices and engage in sexual behavior that puts them at risk for sexually transmitted infections and unplanned pregnancy. Physicians have an opportunity to provide accurate and timely information about safe sexual behavior to individuals in their care. However, many young people, and in particular young women, are reticent to talk to their physicians about sexual behavior because they typically consider the information to be private. Exacerbating this issue is the fact that many physicians are also uncomfortable discussing sexual topics with their patients. In this study, Communication Privacy Management (CPM) theory is used to investigate the criteria that female college students employ to negotiate the disclosure and concealment of information about sexual behavior in communication with physicians. Qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews with female college students was used to explain their perceptions of disclosure of sexual behaviors to their physician. Specifically, the participants’ perceptions of physicians’ communication competence informed privacy management rules. These findings have the potential to improve communication interventions for both female college students and healthcare professionals.

女大学生表现出持续缺乏有关安全性行为的知识，并从事使她们面临性传播感染和意外怀孕风险的性行为。医生有机会向他们照料的个人提供有关安全性行为的准确和及时的信息。然而，许多年轻人，尤其是年轻女性，不愿与他们的医生谈论性行为，因为他们通常认为这些信息是私密的。加剧这个问题的是，许多医生也不愿意与患者讨论性话题。在这项研究中，通信隐私管理（CPM）理论用于调查女大学生在与医生沟通时协商性行为信息的披露和隐瞒所采用的标准。对女大学生的半结构化访谈的定性分析被用来解释她们对向医生披露性行为的看法。具体而言，参与者对医生沟通能力的看法告知隐私管理规则。这些发现有可能改善女大学生和医疗保健专业人员的沟通干预。对女大学生的半结构化访谈的定性分析被用来解释她们对向医生披露性行为的看法。具体而言，参与者对医生沟通能力的看法告知隐私管理规则。这些发现有可能改善女大学生和医疗保健专业人员的沟通干预。对女大学生的半结构化访谈的定性分析被用来解释她们对向医生披露性行为的看法。具体而言，参与者对医生沟通能力的看法告知隐私管理规则。这些发现有可能改善女大学生和医疗保健专业人员的沟通干预。