Condom Attitudes vs. Condom Use: Predictors of Safer Sex Behaviors of African American women attending HBCUs

This exploratory study focuses on the sexual risk behaviors of 755 freshmen African American females, attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in a consortium located in the southeast. This study, examines the relationship between condom attitudes and reported condom use, and the affects of the number of sexual partners on this relationship. Respondents completed questionnaires as part of a larger HBCU Health Study, but analyses were limited to the Sexual Behavior section of the survey. Correlation and Chi-Square analyses were used to measure the relationship between the selected variables. Condom attitudes were found to be strongly associated with condom use at last intercourse (p<.001), and condom use tended to correspond with higher condom attitudes. This relationship remained consistent when controlling for the number of sexual partners in a lifetime and the past three months, however statistical significance dropped to the .05 level for those with one and four or more sexual partners in a lifetime. Sample size was too small for those with two or more sexual partners in the last three months to complete analysis. Age at first intercourse was found to be associated with condom attitudes (p<=047). Also those who reported no alcohol or drug use at last intercourse tended to have higher condom attitudes (p= .027). These findings suggest that attitudes towards condoms are associated with condom use behavior outcomes. More research is needed to determine if this relationship is causal. Implications for these findings are valuable for improving safer sex interventions on HBCU campuses.