Factors Associated with Use of the Female Condom

Abstract

Black, Hispanic and white women recruited for an HIV prevention intervention were instructed in the use of the female condom and encouraged to try the device. Of the 231 women who completed the intervention, 29% tried the condom over the course of a month; 30% of those who tried it used it during at least half of their sexual encounters. Both ethnicity and age were associated with trying the device: Nearly 40% of black women and 30% of Hispanic women did so, compared with 18% of white women; 37% of those aged 25-34 tried the female condom, compared with 22% of women younger than 25. Trying the device was more likely among women living with a partner, those with a history of sexually transmitted disease infection, women who had had an HIV test, those who did not believe that the method afforded them a greater degree of overall control than did the male condom and those who had no prior knowledge of the device. Among women who used the device during at least half of their sexual encounters, 27% were black and 44% were Hispanic: 38% were younger than 25, and 43% were single. More regular users were about half as likely as less regular users to experience difficulty with insertion and one-eighth as likely to report the device slipping during use; they were more likely than less regular users to report that sex was more pleasurable with the female condom than with the male condom.

Effectiveness of an intervention promoting the female condom to patients at sexually transmitted disease clinics

“…12,13 Although some of the studies with US women merely assessed acceptability with potential users, [14][15][16][17] most assessed acceptability after trial use. 7,[18][19][20][21][22] High rates of trial use and fairly positive reactions to the female condom have been reported. 7,18,19 Many acceptability studies have been criticized, however, as overestimating acceptability due to selection bias because the women had to agree to try the device as a criterion for study inclusion.…”

“…7,18,19 Many acceptability studies have been criticized, however, as overestimating acceptability due to selection bias because the women had to agree to try the device as a criterion for study inclusion. 22 Acceptability studies also assume that the product is the major determinant of acceptability. Product characteristics and effects on coitus have indeed been shown to be important predictors of short-term, consistent use (defined as >50% of acts within 1 month).…”

The female condom: tool for women's empowerment

“…Small US trials of female condom use among drug-using women 12,13 or other women at high risk [14][15][16][17] and numerous international trials among varied populations 1 have indicated a high level of interest in the method and feasibility of use in these populations. Among the best-liked features of the female condom, both in the United States and worldwide, are (1) the fact that women can place it autonomously and can trust that it is not torn or otherwise sabotaged by the partner, (2) the high level of protection it can provide when used correctly, and (3) its soft and lifelike feel.…”

“…[7][8][9]14,15,17,[24][25][26][27][28] When the female condom is introduced in the context of concurrent male condom availability, there is a synergistic or greater-than-additive effect. This consists of both a direct protection effect from women's use of the female condom and an indirect effect that increases male condom use owing to women's use of female condoms as a negotiation tool.…”

Exploring the road to improving knowledge and access to female condom in Nigeria: Evidence from Edo, Delta and Lagos states

“…Proportions of users finding the female condom difficult to insert are as large as 33 to 50% in some studies (Sapire, 1995;Ruminjo et al, 1996). Difficult insertion has been associated with less consistent use (Sly et al, 1997;Neiland et al, 2002). However, with practice and increased use, many of the insertion problems disappear (UNAIDS and WHO, 2000).…”