title: Identifying condom users at risk for breakage and slippage: findings from three international sites.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study examined whether past condom failure (breakage, slippage, or both) can predict future failure and evaluated other predictors of condom failure.
  
  
  METHODS
  At each of 3 international sites, approximately 130 male condom users were enrolled and given 5 condoms to use for vaginal intercourse over a 3-week period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Men at increased risk (history of 1 or more condoms that broke or slipped off) reported approximately twice as many condom failures as those not in this group. Condom failure increased with the number of adverse condom use behaviors reported per participant. Opening condom packages with sharp objects and unrolling condoms before donning were associated with breakage. Unrolling condoms before donning and lengthy or intense intercourse were associated with slippage. Of background characteristics evaluated, having less education was associated with condom failure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data suggest that a history of condom failure predicts future failure, a finding that may be useful for targeted intervention. Moreover, these data provide further evidence that certain behaviors and lower educational attainment are associated with condom failure.
authors.affiliation: Family Health International, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Spruyt
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Steiner
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Joanis
authors.forename: L H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Glover
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Piedrahita
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Alvarado
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ramos
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Maglaya
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cordero
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017280:Condoms; D004293:Dominican Republic; D004522:Educational Status; D004868:Equipment Failure; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010679:Philippines; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012306:Risk; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric