Background: Increasing adolescents' ability to apply condoms has been a common method employed in sexuality education programs. However, the efficacy of this strategy has not been adequately evaluated. Objective: This study examined the association between high-demonstrated condom application ability and recent sexual risk behaviors and laboratory-diagnosed STDs among a sample of African American adolescent females. Method: Sexually active African-American females (n=522) completed a structured interview and provided vaginal swab specimens for STD testing. Adolescents demonstrated their condom application skills using a penile model. Adolescents scoring in the upper quartile were classified as having high-demonstrated ability. Sexual risk behaviors assessed by interview were non-condom use at last intercourse and the last five intercourse occasions for steady and casual sex partners as well as any unprotected vaginal sex in the past 30 days and the past 6 months. Results: Approximately 28% of the sample tested positive for at least one STD and 20% self-reported a history of STDs. Adolescents' condom ability was not related to any of the sexual risk behaviors in bivariate analysis or in multivariate analysis controlling for observed covariates. Likewise, demonstrated ability was not related to laboratory-diagnosed chlamydia, gonorrhea, trichomoniasis or self-reported history of STDs. Discussion: Using laboratory-diagnosed STDs as an objective measure of adolescents' sexual-risk behavior, this study found that high-demonstrated ability to apply condoms was not related to safer sex or STDs. Reducing sexual risk behaviors may require more than enhancing adolescent females condom application skills and may require addressing other relational skills.
Learning Objectives: Audience members will be able to articulate multiple findings indicating that teen female's demonstrated ability to aply condoms does not translate into safer sex behaviors. Audience members will be able apply these findings to school sexuality programs by promoting a focus on negotiation skills for females rather than mechanical skills or condom availability programs
Keywords: Adolescents, Condom Use
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.