CONTENTS

          Chapters
  1. The Condom Gap: A Health Crisis
  2. Sexual Behavior and Condoms
  3. Knowledge of Condoms and AIDS
  4. How Effective Are Condoms?
  5. New Condoms for the New Millennium
  6. Improving Access
  7. Promoting Condoms
  8. Policies for Condom Use

HIGHLIGHTS

Population Reports is published by the Population Information Program, Center for Communication Programs, The Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, 111 Market Place, Suite 310, Baltimore, Maryland 21202-4012, USA


Volume XXVII, Number 1
April, 1999

Series H, Number 9

The Image of Condoms

 In some places condoms suffer from an image problem. Some people have a negative view of condoms because of personal experiences with them, but more often the problem is bad reputation, false rumors, and myths (19, 31, 82, 214, 219, 224, 519). People often associate condoms with uncleanliness, illicit sex, infidelity, and immoral behavior (10, 31, 55, 63, 77, 484, 570).

In Brazil and Guatemala women interviewed said that the condom is for "women of the street, not the home"; in Jamaica the condom is for "outside, not inside, the relationship"; in South Africa the condom is for use only with "back-pocket partners" (440). In West Africa many men believe that condom use is appropriate with their girlfriends or casual partners but not with their wives (219).

Changing negative perceptions of condoms can help increase condom use. Condom use should become the community norm and expected practice when there is any risk of HIV or other STIs (155) (see sidebar, Creating a Positive Image of Condom Use).


TFGI/SOMARC		 As this advertisement from El Salvador says, using condoms can help bring security and peace of mind in sexual relationships. Condoms should be used unless in a monogamous relationship.

Perception of Risk

 Many people who are actually at risk of contracting HIV/AIDS or another STI think that they face little risk and thus have little motivation to use condoms (76). For example, in Georgetown, Guyana, where 25% of the adult population is infected with HIV, 40% of CSWs said they did not think that they were at risk (81).

For some people the risks of AIDS appear vague and distant and thus not worth worry compared with the inconvenience and loss of sexual pleasure that they associate with condoms (413, 587). In South Africa, for example, gold miners who had unprotected sex with CSWs typically perceived the risk of developing AIDS some time in the future as less real and thus much smaller than the large risks they faced in their jobs every day (74).

A married person may risk contracting HIV/AIDS or other STIs because she or he does not realize that the spouse has another sexual partner. Many wives believe that they are in a monogamous relationship, although they may not be certain (204, 260, 440, 487). Correctly evaluating their own risk depends on what they know about their husband's sexual behavior (99, 296, 318).


Previous | Next
Top of Page | Table of Contents


111 Market Place, Suite 310, Baltimore, MD 21202, USA
Phone: (410) 659.6300/Fax: (410) 659.6266/E-mail: Poprepts@jhuccp.org

Population Reports