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Sex Transm Infect 2006;82:238-242 doi:10.1136/sti.2005.018259
  • Public health

Condom use with steady and casual partners in inner city African-American communities

  1. N Chatterjee1,
  2. G M M Hosain2,
  3. S Williams3
  1. 1Kalyani Media Group, Mumbai, India, and UTSPH, Houston, TX, USA
  2. 2University of Texas School of Public Health, Houston, TX, USA
  3. 3Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
  1. Correspondence to:
 Nilesh Chatterjee
 9/17 Rekha, Mumbai 400 089 India; chatterjeenilesh{at}gmail.com
  • Accepted 3 January 2006

Abstract

Objectives: This study examined rates of and factors associated with consistent condom use with steady partner and with casual partners in inner city African-American communities with high sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevalence.

Methods: Structured interviews were conducted using street intercept methods and venue based sampling with 997 African-American residents of inner city neighbourhoods in Houston and Dallas, Texas; of which data were analysed for the 736 that reported having sex in past 2 months. Condom use was measured as a proportion of use in last five sex acts with steady and casual partners.

Results: Reported rates of consistent condom use were high—31.4% with steady partner and 29.5% with casual partner. Multivariate logistic models differed by type of partner. Married people and those with history of STI were less likely to use condoms with the main partner, while older people were less likely and males, and those visiting a doctor more likely to use condoms with casual partners.

Conclusions: The proportion of condom use with both partner types was relatively high reflecting a general trend towards increased condom use in the United States. The finding of lower reported rates with casual partners has been discussed. Factors associated with condom use differ according to type of partner. Precise measurement of actual condom use continues to be an elusive task but is required for the design of appropriate messages and evaluation of STI programmes.

Footnotes

  • NC is currently director, Kalyani Media Group, Mumbai and adjunct assistant professor in the Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences Division, University of Texas School of Public Health, Houston, Texas.MH is doctoral candidate at University of Texas School of Public Health, Houston, Texas.SW is research psychologist and program officer for CPOL project at Behavioral Interventions and Research Branch, Division of STD Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, Georgia.

  • Contributors

    NC was principal investigator for the Texas sites and conducted data collection, data management, and wrote the first draft of the manuscript; SW is CDC Program Officer and assisted with writing of the manuscript and preparing the final version; MH contributed to data management, conducted data analysis, and helped in writing of various versions; data were collected while NC was assistant professor at Texas A&M University.

  • Competing interests: none.

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