The efficacy of female condom skills training in HIV risk reduction among women: a randomized controlled trial.
OBJECTIVE
We evaluated the efficacy of skills training designed to increase female condom use among women.


METHODS
We conducted a randomized controlled trial of 409 women, recruited from family planning clinics in northern California, who were randomly assigned to the experimental 4-session female condom skills training intervention or the comparison 4-session women's general health promotion intervention. Participants received condom use instructions at baseline and male and female condoms during the study. They completed audio computer-assisted self-interviews at baseline and at 3 and 6 months.


RESULTS
At 3 and 6 months, women in the experimental group were more likely than those in the comparison group to have used the female condom at least once in the prior 3 months. The increase in the percentage of sexual acts protected by female condoms from baseline to the 6-month follow-up was greater for the experimental group. The percentage of sexual acts during which any condom was employed was higher in the experimental group at 6 months. There were no group differences in male condom use.


CONCLUSIONS
Outcomes suggest that skills training can increase female condom use and protected sexual acts without reducing male condom use among women.
Choi
Kyung-Hee
KH
Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, University of California, San Francisco, 50 Beale St, Suite 1300, San Francisco, CA 94105, USA. kyung-hee.choi@ucsf.edu
Hoff
Colleen
C
Gregorich
Steven E
SE
Grinstead
Olga
O
Gomez
Cynthia
C
Hussey
Wendy
W
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D019111:Single-Use Internal Condom / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004521:Educational Measurement; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D016015:Logistic Models; D017008:Negotiating / Q000523:psychology; D009937:Organizational Objectives; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D021841:Safe Sex / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012495:San Francisco; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012736:Sex Education / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012747:Sexual Partners / Q000523:psychology; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014930:Women / Q000193:education* / Q000523:psychology