Predicting condom use in young women: demographics, behaviours and knowledge from a population-based sample in Brazil

Abstract

The goal of this study was to assess condom use and related behaviour in young women in Vitória, Brazil. From March to December 2006, a cross-sectional sample of women aged 18–29 years was recruited into a population-based study. Risk behaviours for HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) were surveyed. Condom use at last intercourse was assessed as a principal outcome describing protective sexual behaviour. Of 1200 eligible women identified, 1029 (85.8%) enrolled. Among them, 904 (87.9%) reported a history of sexual activity. Only 36.6% reported condom use at last intercourse; those who did were more likely to report commercial sex work (odds ratio [OR] 9.01 [1.46–55.55]), to state that STI prevention was a primary reason for using condoms (OR = 6.84 [4.81–9.71]), to have been previously diagnosed with an STI (OR = 2.39 [1.36–4.21]), to report that ‘it is easy to tell a sexual partner they will not have vaginal/anal sex without a condom’ (OR = 2.30 [1.56–3.39]), to report that sexual intercourse is only risky when people have anal sex (OR = 1.98 [1.22–3.22]); and less likely to be married (OR = 0.65 [0.54–0.78]), and to find it difficult to use condom consistently in all sexual encounters (OR = 0.36 [0.25–0.52]). Women who reported condom use were more concerned with preventing STIs, and to report less difficulty insisting on condom use with partners.