Heterosexual men's attitudes toward the female condom.

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1999. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

Heterosexual men's attitudes toward the female condom.

AIDS Educ Prev. 1999 Apr;11(2):93-106. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/99231109
Seal DW; Ehrhardt AA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Medical College; of Wisconsin, Milwaukee 53202, USA. dseal@mcw.edu

Abstract: This article addresses heterosexual men's familiarity with the female condom and their attitudes toward this barrier method. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 71 ethnically diverse and heterosexually active men who were recruited in sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinics or through word of mouth in communities with high HIV/STD seroprevalence in New York City during fall 1994 to fall 1995. Only one man reported previous experience with the female condom. The large majority of men had no or limited knowledge of the female condom. Men's reactions to learning about this method ranged from positive to negative, although most men reported willingness to have sex with a partner who wanted to use the female condom. Positive reactions included: 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. Negative reactions centered on the "strangeness" and "bigness" of the female condom, concerns about prevention efficacy, and concerns about reductions in sexual pleasure. Our findings highlight the need for HIV prevention programs that target heterosexual men and promote the use of the female condom.

Keywords: JOURNAL ARTICLE Adult Attitude to Health Choice Behavior *Condoms, Female/STATISTICS & NUMER DATA/UTILIZATION Heterosexuality/*PSYCHOLOGY Human *Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice Male Men/*PSYCHOLOGY New York City Risk-Taking Sexually Transmitted Diseases/PREVENTION & CONTROL/PSYCHOLOGY Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S. Urban Health
990930
A9991316

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