Young men with a higher level of testosterone may be considered macho but they've also been found to be more accepting of safe sex methods.

In a study that focused on first year college students - young men between the ages of 18 and 19 years - it was found that those with a higher level of testosterone were also more accepting of safe sex, choosing to use condoms and safe sex practices.

Men with higher levels of this hormone are traditionally considered to be risk takers, but not in when it comes to sexually transmitted disease it seems. Study research Sari van Anders suggests that insisting on protected sex might be perceived by them as riskier behaviour.

Van Anders draws this conclusion from previous research which shows that those who insist on safe sex are generally perceived in a negative light. From this point of view, it would follow that young men who insist on safe sex might be bolder and more confident than initially thought. 

Higher testosterone levels are also associated with an increase in risky behaviour. Yet, while pregnancy or STDs are a risk, they might seem far less risky or unlikely than appearing untrustworthy or unfaithful.   

The results of the study showed that not only were men with higher testosterone levels more positive about safe sex, they were also more likely to insist on it even in the face of social stigma.

"One of the things that is interesting about these results is that they're one of the first to demonstrate a link between higher testosterone and less risk-taking in any domain," van Anders told LiveScience.

She warned that we shouldn't necessarily be too quick in assuming that higher testosterone levels equated to safer sex, but rather that this practice was currently one that might help boost a man's ego (and therefore, testosterone levels), leading him to favour this particular behaviour.