Prevalence of improper condom use a public health issue worldwide: researchers
February 22, 2012 in HIV & AIDS
Problems with the correct use of the male condom, such as not wearing a condom throughout sex or putting it on upside down, are common in the U.S. and have become a major concern of public health officials. New research shows that countries around the world are facing similar challenges.
An unprecedented collection of condom use studies, published in the journal Sexual Health, provides a global perspective on condom use problems and errors, along with new research on factors influencing correct condom use, how condom use programs can be more effective, and the promotion of the female condom. Led by The Kinsey Institute Condom Use Research Team, or CURT, more than 20 researchers from around the world examine and discuss issues such as safe-sex behaviors by American adults, counterfeit condoms in China and use of female condoms in South Africa.
"The articles in the special issue illustrate both commonalities and differences relative to the use and promotion of male condoms around the world," said William L. Yarber, professor of applied health science at IU and member of CURT. "It provides a resource for sexual health professionals to use for strategizing ways to increase cultural and individual acceptance of condom use."
The special issue appears online in advance of publication in the print issue. CURT, which has studied condom use for a decade, is a research team of scholars from Indiana University, the University of Kentucky, the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, and the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom.
The CURT researchers suggest that closing the gap between the ideal way condoms should be used and the more typical manner is critical to reducing unplanned pregnancies and the spread of sexually transmitted infections such as HIV. Condoms are inexpensive compared to costly HIV and AIDS medications, which often are inaccessible to the people most at risk.
"While we'd like to think the AIDS epidemic is going away, it's not. In the U.S, it's getting worse," said Richard Crosby, a member of CURT, professor at the University of Kentucky and lead editor for Sexual Health's special issue. "We keep looking to medical doctors for the solution to the epidemic, but it's the wrong paradigm. We can prevent small pox, SARS, cholera and a host of other infectious diseases. The prevention of the disease is the modern solution to the AIDS pandemic, and we need to begin applying that solution in earnest."
The special issue represents the first time condom use research from around the globe has been compiled in one place. CURT researchers want to get the information into the hands of global AIDS prevention organizations, such as the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the U.S.
"Condoms are the vaccine we've been waiting for," Crosby said.
He said the gap between the correct use of condoms and the more typical use, which increases its fail rate, points to a need for better education and instruction regarding condom use. Making condoms accessible to people who need them is important, but improved clinic-based counseling, public education and Internet-based education efforts are all key requirements to their correct use. This involves talking openly about such things as erections, semen, lubricant and other aspects of sex that can make people uncomfortable. Crosby said this lack of education and detail because of embarrassment or discomfort comes at the cost of individuals' health and lives.
"We chronically underestimate how complicated condom use can be," he said. "It involves the use of a condom, while negotiating the condom use and sex with a partner all at the same time. There is a complex triad of the sex act, condom use and partner dynamics that must constantly be navigated by condom users."
The research articles highlight problems and barriers to effective condom use and make suggestions for improving access to condoms, addressing cultural issues that can interfere with their efforts, specific populations that should receive more attention programmatically, and areas where more research is needed.
Provided by
Indiana University
-
New 'Viagra condom' to join the fight in STD prevention
May 12, 2011 |
not rated yet |
0
-
Can condoms prevent sexually transmitted infections other than HIV?
Jan 25, 2008 |
not rated yet |
0
-
Report says teens don't often use condoms
Aug 03, 2006 |
not rated yet |
0
-
Size matters, say condom experts
Feb 15, 2010 |
not rated yet |
0
-
NYC-themed condoms a hit
Apr 06, 2007 |
not rated yet |
0
-
Motion perception revisited: High Phi effect challenges established motion perception assumptions
Apr 23, 2013 |
3 / 5 (2) |
2
-
Anything you can do I can do better: Neuromolecular foundations of the superiority illusion (Update)
Apr 02, 2013 |
4.5 / 5 (11) |
5
-
The visual system as economist: Neural resource allocation in visual adaptation
Mar 30, 2013 |
5 / 5 (2) |
9
-
Separate lives: Neuronal and organismal lifespans decoupled
Mar 27, 2013 |
4.9 / 5 (8) |
0
-
Sizing things up: The evolutionary neurobiology of scale invariance
Feb 28, 2013 |
4.8 / 5 (10) |
14
-
Classical and Quantum Mechanics via Lie algebras
Apr 15, 2011
- More from Physics Forums - Independent Research
More news stories
After a decade, global AIDS program looks ahead
(AP)—The decade-old law that transformed the battle against HIV and AIDS in developing countries is at a crossroads. The dream of future generations freed from the epidemic is running up against an era ...
HIV & AIDS
12 hours ago |
not rated yet |
0
'Gap' for HIV vaccine efforts after latest setback
The hunt for an HIV vaccine has gobbled up $8 billion in the past decade, and the failure of the most recent efficacy trial has delivered yet another setback to 26 years of efforts.
HIV & AIDS
May 19, 2013 |
5 / 5 (1) |
0
AIDS science at 30: 'Cure' now part of lexicon
Big names in medicine are set to give an upbeat assessment of the war on AIDS on Tuesday, 30 years after French researchers identified the virus that causes the disease.
HIV & AIDS
May 18, 2013 |
5 / 5 (2) |
0
Peer-referral programs can increase HIV-testing in emergency departments
Researchers at the University of Cincinnati (UC) have found that incorporating a peer-referral program for HIV testing into emergency departments can reach new groups of high-risk patients and brings more patients into the ...
HIV & AIDS
May 17, 2013 |
not rated yet |
0
HIV no barrier to getting liver transplant, study finds
(HealthDay)—Liver transplants to treat a common type of liver cancer are a viable option for people infected with HIV, according to new research.
HIV & AIDS
May 17, 2013 |
not rated yet |
0
Antidepressant reduces stress-induced heart condition
A drug commonly used to treat depression and anxiety may improve a stress-related heart condition in people with stable coronary heart disease, according to researchers at Duke Medicine.
Americans still making unhealthy choices, CDC reports
(HealthDay)—The overall health of Americans isn't improving much, with about six in 10 people either overweight or obese and large numbers engaging in unhealthy behaviors like smoking, heavy drinking or ...
CDC presents recent trends in health behaviors of US adults
(HealthDay)—In 2008 to 2010, the prevalence of key health behaviors among U.S. adults varied, with about one in five adults current smokers and 62.1 percent overweight or obese, according to a report presented ...
Study examines outbreak of spinal infections in Michigan
(HealthDay)—Factors such as increased case finding may explain why Michigan had half of the total spinal infections associated with contaminated methylprednisolone acetate in the recent fungal meningitis ...
Early use of tracheostomy for mechanically ventilated patients not associated with improved survival
For critically ill patients receiving mechanical ventilation, early tracheostomy (within the first 4 days after admission) was not associated with an improvement in the risk of death within 30 days compared to patients who ...
CDC says high number of public pools contain microbes
(HealthDay)—Three-quarters of public schools in the metro Atlanta area contain microbes, including bacteria indicating the presence of fecal matter, according to research published in the May 17 issue of ...