The Taking of Free Condoms in a Drug Abuse Treatment Clinic: The Effects of Location and Posters

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1993. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

The Taking of Free Condoms in a Drug Abuse Treatment Clinic: The Effects of Location and Posters

American Journal of Public Health (10/93) Vol. 83, No. 10, P. 1466 (Amass, Leslie et al.)

Injecting drug use and unprotected sex are two of the primary behavioral risk factors contributing to the steady transmission of the AIDS virus. Condom use is the most powerful tool currently available to prevent transmission during sex. Amass et al. report that, while treatment can reduce drug use and needle sharing, drug abuse treatment programs can also help reduce high-risk sexual activity by drug addicts by promoting and providing condoms. A study was conducted by Amass et al. to determine the impact of distribution location and poster prompts for free condoms. For six months, condoms were available at a drug abuse treatment clinic alternately with and without poster prompts and in the clinic's private restroom or in the public waiting area. Results showed that, while poster prompts did not affect condom taking, 381 percent more condoms were taken from the restroom location than from the waiting room. More free condoms will be taken from a private rather than a public setting, concluded Amass et al, suggesting that distribution location is critical in promoting the taking of free condoms in a public clinic.

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