Patterns of use of the female condom after one year of mass marketing

The female condom is an effective new contraceptive method that can reduce HIV transmission. This study examines use of the female condom after 1 year of its mass marketing and compares this with use of the male condom. It is based on exit interviews conducted among a random sample of male and female customers visiting outlets that sell the female condom. Compared with reported use of the male condom, which was five to eight times as high in nonmarital as in marital partnerships, reported use of the female condom varied less by partnership type (it was twice as high in nonmarital compared with marital partnerships). In marital and regular partnerships, use of the female and the male condom increased with socioeconomic status (SES). In casual partnerships, use of the male condom increased with SES, but use of the female condom was higher for those with lower SES. Men reported higher levels of male condom use than women, but there were no gender differences in use of the female condom. These findings suggest that the largest contribution to HIV protection through use of the female condom may be within marital partnerships and among low SES men and women who engage in casual sex. The absence of gender differentials in use of the female condom suggests that women are able to exert greater control over the use of the female condom than they are over the use of the male condom. However, the overall low levels of female condom use among relatively affluent persons at outlets that sell the female condom indicate that the introduction of the female condom will be resource intensive.