Determinants of female condom use among female tertiary students in the Hohoe Municipality of Ghana using the Health Belief Model

Abstract

Background: Besides abstinence, the condom has proven to be the only effective method of preventing sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV/AIDS. This study investigated the determinants of female condom (FC) use among female tertiary students in the Hohoe Municipality, Ghana using the Health Belief Model (HBM). Methods: A cross-sectional design was adopted. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire in January 2019 and analysed using STATA version 14.0. Logistic regression was used to measure the strength of associations between the dependent and independent variables. A p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The overall utilisation of the FC was 35.0%. Among the constructs of the HBM, it was perceived self-efficacy for FC use that was significantly associated with FC use: respondents who had the confidence to convince their partners to use the FC were 2 times more likely to use it than respondents who did not [AOR =2.15(CI: 1.26, 3.71); p= 0.005]. Conclusion: Female students in the current study exhibited poor utilization of the FC. Health promotion interventions should, therefore, focus on increasing their self-efficacy for FC use. Keywords: Female condom use; Health Belief Model; Female tertiary students; Hohoe; Ghana.