Condom promotion in women attending inner city general practices for cervical smears: a randomized controlled trial.
BACKGROUND
Although condom promotion schemes have been widely piloted in UK general practices, there have been no rigorous evaluations of their effectiveness.


OBJECTIVE
To see if a practice-based sexual health education intervention increases the number of women having smears who are given condoms and advice on avoiding STDs. To see if this low cost intervention affects subsequent condom use.


METHODS
We conducted a cluster randomized trial of condom promotion in 1382 women aged <35 years attending 28 South London general practices for cervical smear tests.


RESULTS
More women in intervention than control practices reported receiving advice on avoiding sexually transmitted infections (27% versus 10%) and being given condoms (28% versus 1%, P < 0.05). However, there was no difference in subsequent condom use, even in the 22% of women reporting >/=2 sexual partners in the previous year.


CONCLUSIONS
To provide evidence of effectiveness, future interventions may need to be more intensive or focus on higher risk groups.
Oakeshott
P
P
Department of General Practice and Primary Care and Department of Genitourinary Medicine, St George's Hospital Medical School, London, UK.
Kerry
S
S
Hay
S
S
Hay
P
P
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D017280:Condoms / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008131:London; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D012307:Risk Factors; D012736:Sex Education; D012747:Sexual Partners; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D014504:Urban Health; D014626:Vaginal Smears