Health Protective Sexual Communication Scale – HPSC
Measures the frequency of discussing health protective topics with a new, first-time sexual partner.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Health Protective Sexual Communication Scale – HPSC was developed by Joseph A. Catania (1995). It is designed to measure Health protective sexual communication. The scale is intended for use with Sexually active adolescents and adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 10 items.
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Never, 2 = Sometimes, 3 = Almost always, 4 = Always.
Scoring
Items are summed to produce a total score.
Total scores range from 10 to 40. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low communication: 10 – 20
- Moderate communication: 21 – 30
- High communication: 31 – 40
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of 0.85.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 2 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.