Abstract
Objective: To extend the current knowledge base pertaining to condom failure among young African-American men by assessing their experiences with male condom use.
Methods: Qualitative assessments were conducted with 19 African-American men (aged 18–29 years) who had just been diagnosed with an STI and reported using condoms in the previous 3 months.
Results: Five categories were identified from the data. These categories pertained to: (1) the "fit and feel" of condoms; (2) condom brand and size; (3) application problems; (4) availability of condoms and lubricants; and (5) commitment to condom use. Common themes included reasons why men believed condoms would break or slip off during sex. Comfort problems, including tightly fitting condoms and condoms drying out during intercourse, were mentioned frequently. Condom associated erection problems were often described. Many men also noted that condom use reduced the level of sexual satisfaction for their female partners. Men noted that finding the right kind of condom was not always easy and it became apparent during the interviews that men typically did not acquire lubrication to add to condoms. Despite their expressed problems with using condoms, men were, none the less, typically emphatic that condom use is an important part of their protective behaviour against STIs.
Conclusion: Men were highly motivated to use condoms; however, they experienced a broad range of problems with condom use. With the exception of losing the sensation of skin to skin contact, the vast majority of these problems may be amenable to behavioural interventions.
Full Text
The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (54.6 KB).
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Crosby Richard A., Sanders Stephanie A., Yarber William L., Graham Cynthia A., Dodge Brian. Condom use errors and problems among college men. Sex Transm Dis. 2002 Sep;29(9):552–557. doi: 10.1097/00007435-200209000-00010. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Grady W. R., Tanfer K. Condom breakage and slippage among men in the United States. Fam Plann Perspect. 1994 May-Jun;26(3):107–112. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Lindberg L. D., Sonenstein F. L., Ku L., Levine G. Young men's experience with condom breakage. Fam Plann Perspect. 1997 May-Jun;29(3):128-31, 140. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Mertz K. J., Finelli L., Levine W. C., Mognoni R. C., Berman S. M., Fishbein M., Garnett G., St Louis M. E. Gonorrhea in male adolescents and young adults in Newark, New Jersey: implications of risk factors and patient preferences for prevention strategies. Sex Transm Dis. 2000 Apr;27(4):201–207. doi: 10.1097/00007435-200004000-00004. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Richters J., Gerofi J., Donovan B. Why do condoms break or slip off in use? An exploratory study. Int J STD AIDS. 1995 Jan-Feb;6(1):11–18. doi: 10.1177/095646249500600104. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Rosenberg P. S., Biggar R. J. Trends in HIV incidence among young adults in the United States. JAMA. 1998 Jun 17;279(23):1894–1899. doi: 10.1001/jama.279.23.1894. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Rosenberg P. S. Scope of the AIDS epidemic in the United States. Science. 1995 Nov 24;270(5240):1372–1375. doi: 10.1126/science.270.5240.1372. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Warner L., Clay-Warner J., Boles J., Williamson J. Assessing condom use practices. Implications for evaluating method and user effectiveness. Sex Transm Dis. 1998 Jul;25(6):273–277. doi: 10.1097/00007435-199807000-00001. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]