The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #57078

Jennifer Kristen Legardy, MPH¹, Maurizio Macaluso, MD, DrPH¹, Ilene Brill, MPH², and Lynn Artz, MD, MPH³. (1) National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion/Division of Reproductive Health/Women's Health & Fertility, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway NE, Mailstop K-34, Atlanta, GA 30341-3724, 770-488-6513, yzl3@cdc.gov, (2) Department of Epidemiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, School of Public Health, Room 533B Ryals School of Public Health, 1665 University Boulevard, Birmingham, AL 35294-2010, (3) Home, 1158 16th Avenue S., Birmingham, AL 35205

Objective: We assessed the frequency of self-reported incorrect condom use and mechanical condom failure (breakage and slippage) in a randomized trial of a motivational-educational intervention promoting consistent use of barrier contraception. Methods: Frequency distributions and descriptive statistics were employed in preliminary analyses. Logistic regression models for repeated measurements were used to evaluate associations while controlling for multiple confounders. Results: Mechanical failure rates were lower in the intervention group, but the effect varied with the characteristics of the participants. The effect was present among women aged £ 20 years (intervention: 3.4% ; control: 8.5%) but not among women aged >30 years (intervention: 2.6%; control: 2.5%); among college-educated women (intervention: 2.2%; control: 6.8%) but not among women with lower education (intervention: 4.5%; control: 3.8%); among women with ³2 sex partners in the past 30 days (intervention: 3.1%; control: 6.1%) but not among women with fewer partners (intervention: 4.2%; control: 4.2%); among women who used barrier methods of birth control (intervention: 3.5%; control: 5.1%) but not among oral contraceptive users (intervention: 7.1%; control: 3.3%). Incorrect use presented similar effect-modification patterns. Conclusion: Demographic variables and reproductive history can influence the effect of behavioral interventions promoting condom use. To the extent that intervention should promote consistent and correct use and minimize the risk of condom failure, consideration of these potential effect modifiers is necessary for intervention design, and for counseling reproductive health clinic clients.

Learning Objectives:

• At the completion of this presentation, the audience should be able identify the potential predictors and the rates of mechanical failure and incorrect use of the male condom, among those exposed to a skill-based intervention compared to those who were not.

Keywords: Behavior Modification, Condom Use

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.