Awareness and attitudes regarding microbicides and Nonoxynol-9 use in a probability sample of gay men.
A household probability sample of 879 adult gay and other men who have sex with men in San Francisco underwent phone interviews. Approximately, half reported recent unprotected anal intercourse (UAI). Yet, lubricant use was high, a behavior that may facilitate future adoption of topical microbicide delivered by a lubricant gel. Despite warnings against Nonoxynol-9 (N-9), 26% of respondents reported still using it. Microbicide awareness was higher among men reporting UAI than among consistent condom users. Scenarios presenting microbicides "as effective as condoms," "nearly as effective," or "less effective but better than nothing" produced wide variability in willingness to use them, which may have implications for microbicide acceptability. HIV-infected men and those who reported UAI showed greater microbicide acceptance.
Carballo-Diéguez
Alex
A
HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies at New York State Psychiatric Institute and Columbia University, New York, NY, USA. ac72@columbia.edu
O'Sullivan
Lucia F
LF
Lin
Peter
P
Dolezal
Curtis
C
Pollack
Lance
L
Catania
Joseph
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D018451:Homosexuality, Male; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017137:Nonoxynol / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012725:Sexual Behavior
D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D017137:Nonoxynol