Heterosexual men's attitudes toward the female condom
Seal, D.W.; Ehrhardt, A.A.
Aids Education and Prevention Official Publication of the International Society for Aids Education 11(2): 93-106
1999
ISSN/ISBN: 0899-9546 PMID: 10214494 Document Number: 503437
Clinical trials suggest that the female condom is highly effective in preventing the transmission of HIV/STDs if used properly. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 71 ethnically, educationally, and occupationally diverse and heterosexually active men aged 18-38 years recruited in STD clinics or through word of mouth in New York City communities with high HIV/STD seroprevalence during fall 1994 to fall 1995. 50.7% of the men were Black, 25.4% were Hispanic, and 16.9% were White. The men's median annual income was $12,600, and about two thirds were currently involved in some type of steady relationship. Only 1 man reported ever using the female condom, while most men had either no or limited knowledge of the female condom. Men's reactions to learning about the method ranged from positive to negative, although most men reported a willingness to have sex with a partner who wanted to use the female condom. Positive reactions to the condom included the endorsement of a woman-controlled condom and her right to use it, the potential for enhancing one's sexual pleasure, and an eagerness to have a new sexual experience, while negative reactions focused upon the strangeness and large size of the female condom, and concerns about prevention efficacy and reductions in sexual pleasure. These findings point to the need for HIV prevention programs which target heterosexual men and promote the use of the female condom.