title: Women empowerment and practices regarding use of dual protection among family planning clients in urban Zimbabwe.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Gender related vulnerability may increase women's susceptibility to HIV infection and unintended pregnancy. The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between women empowerment and practices regarding use of dual protection.
  
  
  METHODS
  A non-experimental descriptive correlational study design was conducted using systematic sampling method to recruit eighty women aged 18-49 years at an urban clinic in Zimbabwe. Data was collected using a structured interview schedule and was analysed and presented using descriptive and inferential statistics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A weak positive significant correlation existed between women empowerment and use of dual protection (r= .242, p=0.03). Findings demonstrated that as women empowerment levels increase practices regarding use of dual protection also increase. The coefficient of determination, R2=.0.058, b=0.293, indicated that the total amount of variation in utilization of dual protection explained by level of women empowerment was 5.8%. The major finding was that use of dual protection was very low (3.8%) and 67.5% had low levels of practices regarding use of dual protection. Additionally, 85.0% were not confident of using the female condom.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Gender inequality within sexual relations was associated with low levels of practices regarding use of dual protection. The study provided evidence for the need for a proactive integrated approach to empower women so that they could negotiate for safer sex practices. To increase female condom utilization, manufacturers need to redesign the female condom so that it becomes user friendly. Health personnel need to involve men for any health reproductive program to succeed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, Zimbabwe Open University, Harare, Zimbabwe.
authors.forename: Jesca
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mutowo
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe.
authors.forename: Christine Mary
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Kasu
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, Zimbabwe Open University, Harare, Zimbabwe.
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mufunda
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017280:Condoms / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003268:Contraception Behavior / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005193:Family Planning Services / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011209:Power, Psychological; D011247:Pregnancy; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014505:Urban Population; D014933:Women's Rights; D055815:Young Adult; D015030:Zimbabwe / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Dual protection; condom; family planning; women empowerment