The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

3248.0: Monday, November 17, 2003 - Board 5

Abstract #71064

Lack of condom use and perception of other contraception effectiveness in the protection against STI/HIV among young adult U.S. women

Felicia T Fuller, DrPH, Epidemiology Program, Chicago Department of Public Health, 333 South State Street, Suite #320, Chicago, IL 60604, 312 745 0377, fuller_felicia@cdph.org, Crystal Fuller, PhD, Center for Urban Epidemiologic Studies, New York Academy of Medicine, 1216 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10029, and Donna L. Richter, EdD, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Health Sciences Building, Columbia, SC 29208.

Background/Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the perception of STI/HIV effectiveness of contraceptive methods among a population-based sample of young adult women. Methods: Multiple logistic regression was used to determine factors associated with perception of STI/HIV protection effectiveness of four contraceptive modalities among a two-stage probability sample of U.S. young adult women. Results: Of 1,669 women aged 18-29, about half were white (47%), African-American (43%), single (54%) and had °Ýhigh school diploma (85%). In four final models: women who perceived condoms as ineffective STI/HIV protection agreed that condom use for HIV protection "is more trouble than it is worth" (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR)=4.31) compared with women who perceived condoms as effective; women who perceived foam use as effective STI/HIV protection were more likely to be single (AOR=1.72) and report income <$15,000 (AOR=1.59) compared with women who perceived foam as ineffective; women who perceived sterilization as effective STI/HIV protection agreed that condom use for HIV protection "is more trouble than it is worth" (AOR=2.81) and report income <$15,000 (AOR=3.02) compared with women who perceived sterilization as ineffective; and, women who perceived the pill as effective STI/HIV protection agreed that condom use for HIV protection "is more trouble than it is worth" (AOR=2.85) and reported income <$15,000 (AOR=1.93). Conclusion: Prevention education that focuses on condom effectiveness and ineffectiveness of other birth control methods against STI/HIV is needed among subgroups of young adult women. Innovative, sensitive and practical condom negotiating/skills-building training should be targeted toward low-income young adult women.

Learning Objectives:

Keywords: Women and HIV/AIDS, Contraception

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
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.

Sexual Health in a Social Context

The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA