Condom use among patients attending six sexually transmitted disease clinics in Switzerland

• Published in: Sexually transmitted diseases Vol. 22; no. 5; p. 303
• Main Authors: Paget, W J, Zwahlen, M, Eichmann, A R, Marti, B
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.09.1995
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Age Factors; Ambulatory Care Facilities; Condoms - statistics & numerical data; Cross-Sectional Studies; Educational Status; Female; Homosexuality, Female; Homosexuality, Male; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Sexual Behavior; Sexually Transmitted Diseases - prevention & control; Switzerland; Hiv Infections > prevention and control; Condom; Europe; Viral Diseases; Contraception; Infections; Barrier Methods; Family Planning; Switzerland; Sexually Transmitted Diseases > prevention and control; Diseases; Western Europe; Developed Countries; Reproductive Tract Infections; Contraceptive Methods; Research Report; Behavior; Sex Behavior; Risk Reduction Behavior > determinants
• ISSN: 0148-5717
• DOI: 10.1097/00007435-199509000-00006

Persons treated for a sexually transmitted disease have been shown to be at increased risk for human immunodeficiency virus infection. Levels of condom use among these patients are presented, and sociodemographic and behavioral factors associated with self-reported never use of condoms are analyzed. This was a cross-sectional study of 2,257 patients treated at six sexually transmitted disease clinics in Switzerland between July 1990 and December 1992. Overall, 46.3% of the patients reported that they had never used condoms. Among heterosexual men, this level was 48.3% (n = 1,751), among homosexual and bisexual men it was 21.6% (n = 268), and among heterosexual women it was 60.1% (n = 238). In a logistic multivariate regression analysis, factors significantly associated with never use of condoms among heterosexual men included age over 29 years, not of Swiss origin, low level of education, few partners in the previous 6 months, contraction of the sexually transmitted disease from a stable partner, and not being an injecting drug user. These results document the high levels of condoms never being used in this population and highlight the importance of condom promotion activities provided by sexually transmitted disease clinics.