734 gay men who had recently engaged in unprotected anal intercourse reported self-justifications they used at the time. A common self-justification involved a resolution to withdraw before ejaculating. Compared with other self-justifications, this resolution was associated with a “last minute” rather than a “premeditated” decision to have unprotected anal intercourse, suggesting that the resolution derived just from “heat of the moment” thinking. Implications for AIDS education are discussed.
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