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The cost-effectiveness of condoms in the prevention of HIV infection in England and Wales: should condoms be available on prescription?

OBJECTIVES: HIV and AIDS represent a considerable challenge to the British National Health Service, and the resources devoted to treatment and prevention of HIV/AIDS are significant and likely to increase. The focus of recent campaigns promoting safer sexual practices to prevent the spread of HIV have focused on the use of condoms, since condom use reduces the probability of infection. Furthermore, it has also been suggested that condoms should be provided routinely on prescription by general practitioners (GPs). The objective of this study was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of GP-provision of condoms in the prevention of HIV infection. Since risk factors for HIV infection differ across population groups, cost-effectiveness ratios for three at-risk groups were considered. METHODS: Estimates of the cost per infection prevented and the cost per life year gained were made for female heterosexuals, male heterosexuals, and male homosexuals in England and Wales. Sensitivity analysis was conducted on a number of key parameters. RESULTS: The costs per infection prevented were 2,327,744 Pounds for female heterosexuals, 9,709,987 Pounds for male heterosexuals and 1315 Pounds for male homosexuals. The corresponding costs per life year gained were 56,774 Pounds, 269,722 Pounds and 37 Pounds. When savings from the costs of care were taken into account the use of condoms resulted in cost savings of nearly 50,000 Pounds for homosexual males. CONCLUSIONS: The provision of GP-prescribed condoms is highly cost-effective for male homosexuals. Such provision is much less cost-effective for heterosexuals, primarily due to the relatively low prevalence of HIV in the heterosexual population and the low infectivity parameter. This suggests that routine GP-provision of condoms would be inappropriate for all at-risk groups, and should target high-risk groups, specifically male homosexuals.

Condoms↗

Condom availability in New York City public high schools: relationships to condom use and sexual behavior.

OBJECTIVES: This study examines the impact of the condom availability program in New York City public high schools by comparing rates of sexual activity and condom use for New York students and similar students in Chicago. METHODS: A total of 7119 students from 12 randomly selected New York schools and 5738 students from 10 Chicago schools participated in a cross-sectional survey. RESULTS: New York students, compared with Chicago students, reported equal rates of sexual activity but higher rates of condom use at last intercourse (odds ratio [OR] = 1.36). For higher-risk students (those with three or more sexual partners in the past 6 months), condom use was greater in New York (OR = 1.85) than in Chicago. CONCLUSIONS: Condom availability has a modest but significant effect on condom use and does not increase rates of sexual activity. These findings suggest that school-based condom availability can lower the risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases for urban teenagers in the United States.

Adolescent↗

A condom skill scale: assessing condom skills among female drug users.

Use of latex condoms is a primary form of sexual risk reduction, and consequently many intervention programs have focused efforts on increasing condom use among high-risk populations. Use alone, however, will not fully protect the individual if condoms are not used correctly. The objective of this study was to describe the development and properties of a scale measuring demonstrated condom use skill using a sample of 261 drug-using women. Guttman's coefficient of reproducibility and Jackson's Plus Percentage Ratio (PPR) were used to determine the scalability of the Condom Skill Scale (CSS). Analysis of scale scores revealed high levels of condom skill among the population, although there was reduced performance for three items. Preliminary analysis suggests that the CSS is a potentially valid and reliable instrument, and may have application as a tool assessing condom skill level.

Adult↗

Factors predictive of adolescents' intentions to use birth control pills, condoms, and birth control pills in combination with condoms.

Using the Theory of Planned Behaviour (Ajzen, 1988) as a conceptual framework, 705 secondary school students were surveyed to identify their intentions to use birth control pills, condoms, and birth control pills in combination with condoms. Hierarchical multiple regression revealed that the theory explained between 23.5% and 45.8% of the variance in intentions. Variables external to the model such as past use, age, and ethnicity exhibited some independent effects. Attitudes were consistently predictive of intentions to use condoms, pills, and condoms in combination with pills for both male and female students. However, there were differences by gender in the degree to which subjective norms and perceived behavioural control predicted intentions. The findings suggest that programs should focus on: creation of positive attitudes regarding birth control pills and condoms; targeting important social influences, particularly regarding males' use of condoms; and developing strategies to increase students' control over the use of condoms.

Adolescent↗

The relationship between women's attitudes about condoms and their use: implications for condom promotion programs.

A survey of 759 women attending contraceptive care clinics revealed that a majority of women endorsed condom use as an important way to reduce the spread of AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome); 82 per cent reported past use of condoms, but only 14 per cent reported using condoms in addition to another form of contraception to prevent infection with sexually transmitted pathogens, including HIV (human immunodeficiency virus). Acceptance of condom advertisement, perceived male and peer acceptance of condoms, and the effect of condom use on the enjoyment of sexual intercourse predicted condom use.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

From awareness to adoption: the effect of AIDS education and condom social marketing on condom use in Tanzania (1993-1996).

This paper uses retrospective event-history data covering a four-year period to examine the timing of exposure to HIV/AIDS education and social marketing condom promotion campaigns, relative to the timing of changes in sexual risk behaviour in Tanzania. Analysis of the event-history data shows that the process of exposure to AIDS education messages and exposure to brand advertising for Salama brand condoms was very different. While exposure to AIDS education was early and gradual, exposure to Salama brand condoms started later, but was much more rapid. After one year of advertising, over half of the target population had been reached by the Salama advertising campaign, mostly through newspapers, radio and television. During the study period, condom use increased from 15% at the beginning of 1993 to 42% at the end of 1996. Increases in condom use were driven both by men who became sexually active, and by men who were not yet protected, or not fully protected. The results further show that it is uncommon for men who adopted condom use to return to more risky behaviour, which suggests that behaviour change in the study population is permanent.

Adolescent↗

Condom use history as a determinant of university students' condom evaluative index.

Researchers examined the mean sum scores of 15 semantic differential scales to specify the evaluative index assigned to the term condom by 173 undergraduate students at a large public university. Of interest was whether evaluative indices were different for men and women, and for condom ever-users versus never-users. There was no sex difference in semantic evaluation of condom. However, the mean sum score of persons with prior condom experience reflected a significantly more positive rating compared to persons who were never-users. Because use of condoms is associated with an evaluative index that is statistically more favorable, encouraging sexually active young adults to try condoms may promote consistency of use, and thereby reduce undesired pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections.

Adolescent↗

Men, women and the trouble with condoms: problems associated with condom use by migrant workers in rural Zambia.

Understanding cultural attitudes to condoms is of the utmost importance in promoting their use as a means of protection against HIV transmission. This article examines condom use in relation to what people see as the purpose of sex, what good sex entails and how this relates to ideas of being a proper woman or man. It seems that the underlying and pervasive ideal is that sex is essentially a procreative act, since an emphasis on male potency and male and female fertility often overrides anxieties about contracting HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. Hence condom use is usually only negotiated within some short-term relationships and then not consistently. Whilst both men and women have negative attitudes to condoms, women because of their economic and ideological dependence on men are in a much weaker position to negotiate condom use.

Condoms↗

'I think condoms are good but, aai, I hate those things': condom use among adolescents and young people in a Southern African township.

Levels of heterosexually transmitted HIV infection are high amongst South African youth, with one recent survey reporting levels of 18.9% amongst 17-20 year olds and 43.1% amongst 21-25 year olds. In these groups levels of knowledge about HIV are high, but perceived vulnerability and reported condom use are low. Much existing research into youth HIV in developing countries relies on survey measures which use individual knowledge, attitudes and reported behaviour as variables in seeking to explain HIV transmission amongst this group. This paper reports on a focus group study that seeks to complement existing individual-level quantitative findings with qualitative findings highlighting community and social factors that hinder condom use amongst youth in the township of Khutsong, near Carletonville. Study informants comprised 44 young women and men in the 13-25 year age group. Data analysis highlighted six factors hindering condom use: lack of perceived risk; peer norms; condom availability; adult attitudes to condoms and sex; gendered power relations and the economic context of adolescent sexuality. Informants did not constitute a homogenous group in terms of their understandings of sexuality. While there was clear evidence for the existence of dominant social norms which place young peoples' sexual health at risk, there was also evidence that many young people are self-consciously critical of the norms that govern their sexual behaviour, despite going along with them, and that they are aware of the way in which peer and gender pressures place their health at risk. There was also evidence that a minority of youth actively challenge dominant norms and behave in counter-normative and health-enhancing ways. The actively contested nature of dominant sexual norms provides a fertile starting point for peer education programmes that seek to provide the context for the collective negotiation of alternative sexual norms that do not endanger young peoples' sexual health.

Adolescent↗

Why are you bringing up condoms now? The effect of message content on framing effects of condom use messages.

According to prospect theory (A. Tversky & D. Kahneman, 1981), messages advocating a low-risk (i.e., easy, low-cost) behavior are most effective if they stress the benefits of adherence (gain framed), whereas messages advocating a risky behavior are most effective if they stress the costs of nonadherence (loss framed). Although condom use is viewed as a low-risk behavior, it may entail risky interpersonal negotiations. Study 1 (N = 167) compared ratings of condom use messages advocating relational behaviors (e.g., discussing condoms) or health behaviors (e.g., carrying condoms). As predicted, loss-framed relational messages and gain-framed health messages received higher evaluations. Study 2 (N = 225) offers a replication and evidence of issue involvement and gender as moderators. Results are discussed with reference to the design of condom use messages.

Adult↗

Women who put condoms on male partners: correlates of condom application.

OBJECTIVE: To identify correlates of women applying condoms. METHODS: Cross-sectional survey of 533 sexually-active women; questionnaire. RESULTS: Of the condom users (n = 322), 31.7% reported applying condoms at least once--an average on 59.7% of the occasions. Compared to nonappliers, appliers had more positive affect toward sexually related situations (erotophilia, P = .004) and a higher frequency of sex (P = .003). Condom users, compared to nonusers, were significantly younger (P = .001), were less likely to be in sexually exclusive relationships (P = .001) or married (P = .01), and reported more partners in the past 3 months (P = .001). CONCLUSIONS: Condom-applying women may have more positive attitudes toward sexuality and engage in a higher frequency of sexual activity.

Adolescent↗

Acceptability of the female condom in different groups of women in South Africa--a multicentred study to inform the national female condom introductory strategy.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the acceptability of the female condom to different groups of women and their partners in South Africa. DESIGN: Descriptive, cross-sectional study. SETTING: Multicentre study conducted in five sites. SUBJECTS: The study recruited 678 women from five centres to an acceptability trial of the female condom. Acceptability and successful use varied between the centres. OUTCOME MEASURES: Factors affecting successful use and willingness and intention to use the method again. RESULTS: In total, 209 women used the condom at least once. Discontinuation rates were high, with partner reluctance to try the method as the main reason given for discontinuation at all sites. Women who had previous experience with the male condom or who received a more intensive training session generally found the device easier to use. The main issues concerning women were over-lubrication (27%) and concern that the device was too large (28%). The majority of women said that they would be interested in using the method again (86%) and would recommend it to friends (95%). CONCLUSIONS: Overcoming partner opposition is an important issue to address when introducing the method. The study was used to address the national introductory strategy of the female condom, which began in 1998.

Adolescent↗

Burst testing of condoms. I. Basic features of the force-deformation curve of latex-rubber condoms.

Inflation of a rubber condom involves biaxial deformation of the material which can be modeled by the use of an appropriate strain-energy function. Force versus deformation data for uniaxial extension of strips of condoms were used to determine the parameters for Ogden's form of a strain-energy function. These parameters were then used to fit experimentally obtained burst test data to a stress-strain equation formulated for inflation of condoms in a burst test. Experimental data on inflation of condoms agree well with theoretical curves verifying the applicability of the biaxial stress-strain equation to the particular strain-energy function on which it is based.

Condoms↗

Do main partner conflict, power dynamics, and control over use of male condoms predict subsequent use of the female condom?

This study assessed hypotheses that measures of power and control over male condom (MC) use would predict use of the female condom (FC) among women with main partners from two public STD clinics (n = 616). The women (mean age 24 years, 87% African American) were enrolled in an intervention study to promote barrier contraceptive use and were interviewed at baseline and at 6 monthly follow-up visits. Seven baseline predictor variables were assessed: her having requested MC use, his having objected, her having wanted a MC used but not asking, percentage of MC use, perceived control over MC use, anticipated consequences of refusing unprotected sex, and physical violence. In the first Poisson regression analysis, none of the hypothesized predictors was significantly associated with FC use during follow up. In the second regression analysis, which assessed the influence of the hypothesized set of predictors on follow-up FC use in situations when MCs were not used, we found two effects. Either no or inconsistent MC use before study entry was associated with less subsequent FC use; women who reported, at study entry, having more control over MC use were more likely to use FCs during follow up. We found no evidence of adoption of the FC by women in relationships marked by history of conflict over the MC, circumstances in which alternatives are most needed. On the contrary, we found that women with a history of control and consistent use of MCs were the most likely users of FCs when MCs were not used.

Adolescent↗

Measuring perceived barriers to condom use: psychometric evaluation of the Condom Barriers Scale.

A programmatic series of three studies developed and evaluated the Condom Barriers Scale (CBS), an instrument measuring women s perceived barriers to condom use for prevention of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. Following item generation and selection, Study 1 evaluated the CBS in a sample of minority women (N = 178), reduced the number of items, assessed the factor structure, evaluated the internal consistency, and explored the convergent validity of the CBS. In Study 2, the CBS was administered to a cross-validation sample (N = 278). Confirmatory factor analysis and internal consistency were compared against the original sample and construct, criterion, and discriminant validity were assessed. In Study 3 (N = 30), temporal stability of the CBS was evaluated. The resulting instrument appears to have sound psychometric properties and can be used to measure a key construct in the leading theoretical models of health behavior for which a measure with known psychometric properties previously has not been available.

Adolescent↗