Condom: Encyclopedia II - Condom - Factors Influencing Condom Use

Condom - Factors Influencing Condom Use

Most research has revealed, through survey, four factors which establish the minimal use of condoms: various encumbering beliefs, reduced sexual pleasure, adverse experiences, and fears related to gender and tensions. However, as new technology and beneficial studies come forth that combat these various factors, there is still a substantially low amount of individuals world-wide who practice safe sex. This noticeable gap has lead several investigators to analyze perhaps social factors becoming involved such as a residual social stigma attached to condoms. At the same time, anti-condom movements like barebacking are remarkable social trends of simple, yet unsafe, defiance or an unnecessary precaution.

In broad detail, social factors range from geographical location to race, and become as specified as methamphetamine versus non-drug users, so correlations within this research are not always strong and accurate, but it does establish that correlations do exist.

Condom - Geographic Location

Several regions provide examples of social factors influencing the use of condoms within their populous. Two examples which contrast the effects of similar problems are South Africa and rural Lebanon.

Unfortunately, South Africa has some of the highest HIV rates in the world, so there the statistics on condom use are being studied heavily. As of 2001, the 21-25 year age group has the peak rate of infection at 43.1% (Campbell & MacPhail 2001). These studies became more specified and it was discovered that despite all the information known today about HIV and the spread of infection, many young people of the study did not feel that they were in danger of contracting this disease. In fact, only 30% of people, males and females, felt they had any risk of contracting HIV at all. Of those that said they felt there was any chance of contracting HIV, only 12.9% thought there was a moderate chance, and 17.6% thought they had a good chance of infection. It seems that even though the youth of South Africa do have a relatively high level of knowledge concerning the risk factors of getting HIV, many feel that is simply won't happen to them. Many of the factors found in South Africa apply to well developed countries of the world and these new findings hopefully will help shape future campaigns against decreased condom use in the future.

Another end of the spectrum are the rural areas of Lebanon in the Middle East. Generally, the use of condoms and other forms of contraceptives in the Middle East is low even though there is a growing awareness of sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS (Kulczycki, 2004). A study revealed that only twenty-four percent of the women in the regions ever used a condom. A household survey was also done on condom use which found that ninety-eight percent of women had indeed heard of contraceptive methods, but only eighty-five percent of the women had heard of condoms. Some things to keep in mind also are that women in this culture are not expected to have knowledge or express openly knowledge of contraceptives or even sexuality. Also some background that is needed on the group surveyed is that the marital fertility rate of the surveyed women were about five children per woman, and each of the women had a different level of education. About sixty-one percent had intermediate-level education, twenty percent had a primary education, and eighteen percent had trouble reading or could not read at all. This provides evidence that condom use varies dependant on social factors like the area’s cultural background and education.

It should be noted that largely the variances in geographical location are highly affected by culture and cultural beliefs, as well as class and race, but also have dynamic influences resounding from economic yield for the area, use and expansion of communication, and other criteria. These social factors can again be examined in South Africa and rural Lebanon:

An example is that in South Africa, it was discovered (Campbell & MacPhail 2001) that condom availability is a problem for young adults. Although condoms are given away by local clinics, many participants stated that there are instances when they found themselves without condoms because they never know when they are going to need one. Thus, this higher economic region has properly developed health services; they are just not being properly utilized by the public.

Opposing in the lower economic region of rural Lebanon, another reason for the lack of condom use is that public health services and family planning services are very inadequately developed. A health service that is trying to help is the Lebanese Family Planning Association but their funding is very limited and recently they have not been able to increase its budget to promote more complete reproductive health service.

Despite these specific social factors contributing to the differences between these regions and others, most research has identified issues such as trust and gender power in relationships and others as socially relevant to almost all countries worldwide.

Condom - Drug Use

The use of methamphetamines is shown to dramatically increase one’s desire to have sex, which can lead to pregnancy and/or the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases. Some injection drug users allege to have changed their sexual behavior since the AIDS pandemic, but still a relatively few percentage (6% - 44%) of injectors use condoms while averaging twelve partners per year.

Amphetamine use has been associated with stronger sexual excitement, longer duration of intercourse, and intensified orgasms among male injectors. A study showed that methamphetamine users entering treatment had three times the prevalence of HIV than other drug users.

Only 99 of 699 male Out-of-Treatment Injection Drug Users (OTIDUs) that took part in the study reported to have always used a condom. Of the 232 women OTIDUs, 22 claimed their male partner always used a condom. However, when the study was restricted to methamphetamine users only, these numbers dropped to a mere one third and one fourth of the above statistics, respectively.

From this research (Grant, Patterson, Semple, 2004), correlations can be drawn through profiling methamphetamine users against non users as specific relationships can be drawn. While not always, drug abuse will often identify a lower economic status as well as certain minority groups which could add other specific social factors that are need further research to make better correlations.

Condom - Anti-Condom Trends

There are several situations and groups who knowingly choose to not use a condom during sex for various reasons.

Studies have shown baby boomers are increasingly contracting sexually transmitted infections because they choose not to wear condoms. Many have been married and separated and now have random sexual partners (Watt, 2005). Since the women are no longer capable of conceiving children, they do not see the large risk in not protecting themselves, and thus the importance of a condom becomes minimal. Also, since many of them have just come out of a long term relationship, they are starting over and they are too uncomfortable with their new partner to ask them to use a condom.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Factors Influencing Condom Use", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki