Female condom uptake and acceptability in Zimbabwe.
As the first phase of a two-phase prospective cohort study to assess the acceptability of the diaphragm as a potential HIV/STI prevention method, we conducted a 2-month prospective study and examined the effect of a male and female condom intervention on female condom (FC) use among 379 sexually active women in Harare, Zimbabwe. Reported use of FC increased from 1.1% at baseline to 70.6% at 2-month follow-up. Predictors of FC uptake immediately following the intervention included interest in using FC, liking FC better than male condoms, and believing one could use them more consistently than male condoms. Women reported 28.8% of sex acts protected by FC in the 2 weeks prior to last study visit. Though FC may not be the preferred method for the majority of women, with access, proper education, and promotion they may be a valuable option for some Zimbabwean women.
Napierala
Sue
S
Women's Global Health Imperative, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94104, USA.
Kang
Mi-Suk
MS
Chipato
Tsungai
T
Padian
Nancy
N
van der Straten
Ariane
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017280:Condoms; D019111:Single-Use Internal Condom / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003268:Contraception Behavior; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015030:Zimbabwe