AEGiS-14IAC: Factors influencing men's decisions to use condoms in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, South Africa.

14th International AIDS Conference


Barcelona, Spain - July 7-12, 2002

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Factors influencing men's decisions to use condoms in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, South Africa.

Int Conf AIDS 2002 Jul 7-12; 14:(abstract no. E11431)

Magwaza S, Cooper D, Magongo B
Health Systems Trust, Durban, South Africa

BACKGROUND: The study examined factors influencing men's decisions to use condoms, barriers to condom usage, and perceptions about the quality of care that is provided by the health services where men obtain their supply of condoms.

METHODS: The qualitative study conducted involving 30 Xhosa youth aged 15 to 30 from Khayelitsha Township, 30 km outside Cape Town where the CBD programme was operational. The focus groups discussions were stratified by age and were conducted in Xhosa, taped, transcribed and translated into English. Within each group, some participants reported using public sector clinics and CBD services, while some reported not using condoms. Content analysis was applied.

RESULTS: The findings show that 11 men were using condoms of which 10 were under 19 years old. The eleven condom users were CBD clients and reported getting their condoms from the CBD programme. Some barriers to condom use include: too young to use condoms; fear of being seen as "contracepting" just like the girls; not at risk for any sexual infection; partners did not feel it was necessary to use condoms; and doubted efficacy of condoms. Health service related barriers include: fear to be perceived as too young to be sexual active by health providers, poor nurse-client relationships, and long clinic distance. Generally, the quality of care of CBD services was perceived to be superior to the one of public sector clinics by all participants.

CONCLUSIONS: The results support that social marketing of condoms increases the uptake of condoms but that strengthening the public sector clinics and providing additional support through education and groups or individual counselling to dispel the fears and myths and to ensuring continuous use of condoms is necessary.

Keywords: AEGIS, Condoms, Safe Sex, Condoms, Female, Counseling, Focus Groups, Health Services Accessibility, South Africa, Human, Male, Female, utilizationKWDaegis,condoms,safesex,condoms,female,counseling,focusgroups,healthservicesaccessibility,southafrica,human,male,female,utilization

020707
E11431

Copyright © 2002 - International AIDS Society (IAS). Reproduction of this abstract (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the IAS.