title: Use-effectiveness of the female versus male condom in preventing sexually transmitted disease in women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Data are limited on the female condom's effectiveness against STDs.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The goal was to compare STD rates between women given small-group education on, and free supplies of, either female or male condoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Female patients at an STD clinic (n = 1442) were randomly assigned to condom type and followed via medical records for STDs (gonorrhea, chlamydia, early syphilis, or trichomoniasis).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In an intention-to-treat analysis, the odds ratio for a comparison of STD occurrence between the female and male condom groups was 0.75 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.56-1.01), and it did not change with adjustment. In a second analysis among women returning for subsequent screening, incidence rates for the first new postintervention STD per 100 woman-months of observation were 6.8 in the female condom group and 8.5 in the male condom group (rate ratio = 0.79 [CI, 0.59-1.06]).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Compared with those provided with male condoms alone, women counseled on, and provided with, female condoms fared no worse and experienced a nonsignificant reduction in STDs.
authors.affiliation: Philadelphia Department of Public Health, Medical College of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
authors.forename: P P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: French
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Latka
authors.forename: E L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Gollub
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rogers
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Hoover
authors.forename: Z A
authors.initials: ZA
authors.lastname: Stein
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000517:prevention & control; D017280:Condoms / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019111:Single-Use Internal Condom / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006069:Gonorrhea / Q000517:prevention & control; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015143:Philadelphia / Q000453:epidemiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013587:Syphilis / Q000517:prevention & control; D014247:Trichomonas Vaginitis / Q000517:prevention & control