title: Condom breakage and slippage among men in the United States.
abstract: Data on condom breakage and slippage from a nationally representative survey show that the average condom breakage rate experienced by 20-39-year-old men who have used a condom in the preceding six months was 2.7%, and that 1.9% of all condoms used during that time broke. Comparable condom slippage rates are 2.7% and 2.0%, respectively. Condom breakage and slippage appear to be 4-5 times higher among black men than among men of other races. Levels of breakage and slippage are also elevated among low-income men and those who used condoms relatively infrequently in the six months before the survey. The data also indicate that men who engage in high-risk sexual behavior, such as having multiple partners and engaging in anal intercourse, are more likely to experience condom breakage and slippage.
authors.affiliation: Battelle Centers for Public Health Research and Evaluation, Seattle.
authors.forename: W R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Grady
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanfer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017280:Condoms / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003267:Contraception; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D004522:Educational Status; D004868:Equipment Failure; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D016018:Least-Squares Analysis; D008153:Lubrication; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012923:Social Class; D013089:Spermatocidal Agents; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D013089:Spermatocidal Agents