Protection against sexually transmitted diseases by granting sex workers in Thailand the choice of using the male or female condom

Abstract

Results are available from 34 sex establishments (249 women) in the male/female condom group, and 37 sex establishments (255 women) in the male condom group. Condom use was very high in both groups (97.9 and 97.3 % of all sexual acts, respectively, P > 0.05). Male condom use was lower in the male/female condom group when compared with the male condom group (88.2 and 97.5%, respectively, P < 0.001). However, this reduction in male condom use was counterbalanced by the use of female condoms in 12.0% of all sexual acts in the male/female condom group, contributing to a 17% reduction in the proportion of unprotected sexual acts in this group when compared to the male condom group (5.9 versus 7.1%, respectively, P = 0.16). Female condom use was sustained over the entire study period. There was also a 24% reduction in the weighted geometric mean incidence rate of STDs in the sex establishments of the male/female condom group compared to the male condom group (2.81 versus 3.69 per 100 person-weeks, P = 0.18).

Female-Initiated Barrier Methods for the Prevention of STI/HIV: Where Are We Now? Where Should We Go?

“…[49][50][51][52] Studies for STI/HIV prevention show that most women make wise choices about protecting themselves when given full information on the risks and benefits of their options. [32][33][34][35]43,[53][54] While some concern is in order for the interaction of method choice and commercial sexual encounters, 53 on the whole, these studies show that the addition of the female condom method to the mix increases overall protection, 34 and that it meets unique prevention needs, such as when the male condom might fail 43 or for protection from steady partners. 33,35,55 Thus, there is growing evidence in the STI/HIV prevention literature that providing method choice is good.…”

“…A Medline key word search of "female condom" at press time resulted in a listing of 123 articles on various aspects of safety, acceptability, and efficacy. While the first two have been well established 38,39 and rigorous studies on the contraceptive efficacy of the female condom have been done, [40][41][42] data on the efficacy against STI are limited, 43,44 and more studies, especially those involving long-term follow up, are needed.…”

Expanding Safer Sex Options: Introducing the Female Condom into National Programmes

“…Thus, female condom use had not replaced male condom use but brought about an incremental increase in protection, a finding which is consistent with other studies. [19][20][21][22][23] Integration of female condoms into existing services Table 1 shows the increase in the number of female condoms distributed from 1998 to 2002 in the four project countries through public sector and social marketing projects. 24 As this was a new technology, there was an initial tendency to launch female condoms as a vertical programme, in isolation from other sexual and reproductive health or other community-orientated services.…”

“…For example, a recent study suggests that well-designed female condom programmes can not only be highly cost-effective but can also save public sector health funds, especially in programmes that target groups that practise high-risk behaviours, such as sex workers and others with multiple partners, and where it adds protection within an existing programme. 19 This is an argument for public sector subsidy of female condoms, to save public health costs associated with STD and HIV diagnosis and treatment. 26 This argument certainly helped motivate the Ministries of Health in Brazil, Ghana, South Africa and Zimbabwe as well as the donor agencies that supported the efforts in these countries.…”

A Brief Sexual Barrier Intervention for Women Living with AIDS: Acceptability, Use, and Ethnicity

“…As in previous research, participants increased their use of chemical barrier products. 39,40 These results suggest expressed willingness to use specific barrier products may not be associated with participants' product ratings. Results demonstrate that ethnic preferences and exposure must be considered in the marketing and dissemination of microbicides.…”