[Qualitative evaluation of a promotion campaign for the use of condoms in an adolescent and youth population for the Community of Madrid].
BACKGROUND
The Program for Standardizing Condom Use has been carrying out different activities to promote condom use among the teenage and young adult population since November 1998. All of these measures have revolved around a specific measure aimed at making condoms more readily available, that is, the sale of condoms to the teenage and young adult population in pharmacies at low prices. The objective of this research was to assess the results from the standpoint of the persuasive effectiveness of these measures as related to modifying unsafe practices.


METHODS
The qualitative methodology employed was the customary methodology within the context of market and opinion studies, that is qualitative after-test on the bases of open interviews with pharmacists and youths. A total of 7 interviews were held with pharmacists in addition to 14 interviews with sexually active young people of both sexes within the 17-19 age range residing in unsafe areas from the standpoint of AIDS incidence.


RESULTS
Two main risk factors were identified: a) The approaches taken on the part of certain sexually successful males, always within the context of casual sexual relations, of avoiding condom use for the purpose of greater sexual pleasure in view of a prior assessment of the degree of risk involved in the relations in question; the post-coital pill as an alternative means of contraception seems to be involved very often in such approaches. b) The inhibition of purchasing condoms in the pharmacy, which prevents taking due precautions and, therefore, directly gives rise to unsafe situations arising.


CONCLUSIONS
The campaign in question has been assessed as being positive from the purely informative standpoint. No aspects have however been encountered which afford the poSsibility of effectively countering the main risk factor detected, the approaches taken of avoiding the use of a condom for the purpose of achieving greater sexual pleasure and the sanctioning of these practices on the part of the group. As regards this second risk factor, that of inhibition regarding purchase, no appreciable effectiveness has been noted as regards the sale of condoms at a low price in pharmacies.
Seoane Pascual
Luis
L
Servicio de Educación Sanitaria, Instituto de Salud Pública de la Comunidad de Madrid, Consejería de Sanidad, Madrid. luis.seoane@madrid.org
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000328:Adult; D017280:Condoms / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D021841:Safe Sex; D013030:Spain; D014504:Urban Health