Acceptability of the female condom among STD clinic patients
el-Bassel, N.; Krishnan, S.P.; Schilling, R.F.; Witte, S.; Gilbert, L.
Aids Education and Prevention Official Publication of the International Society for Aids Education 10(5): 465-480
1998
ISSN/ISBN: 0899-9546 PMID: 9799941 Document Number: 278307
This study examines the acceptability of the female condom among African American and Latino patients from 2 inner-city STD clinics through focus group discussions. Prior to the initial focus group sessions, 90% (n=90) had heard about the female condom, 8% (n=8) had seen it, and 2% (n=2) had used it. Among the 41 participants (22 males and 19 females) attending a second focus group session, 85.4% (n=35) had used the female condom at least once. Female study participants who had previous experience inserting a barrier contraceptive device, such as a diaphragm, indicated that they felt more comfortable inserting the female condom than those who had never used such a device. Male participants indicated that they were more comfortable using the female condom with their steady partners than with casual partners, whereas female participants indicated no such distinctions. These and other study findings suggest the need to promote and expand the use of the female condom as a device that protects women from STD transmissions including HIV and AIDS.