Correlates of condom use stage of change: implications for intervention.

ABSTRACT

PIP: According to 1996 US Centers for Disease Control data, HIV/AIDS has become the second and third leading cause of death for Black and Hispanic women, respectively, in the US aged 25-44 years. The main risks for infection among minority women are IV drug use and sexual contact with IV drug users. Findings are presented from a telephone survey conducted to collect data on the attitudes, beliefs, and practices concerning condom use among 812 reproductive-age African Americans with regular sex partners in Baltimore. Condom use was "staged" according to Prochaska's model of stage of behavioral change, while characteristics of the respondents' sexual relationships, peer characteristics, and demographic and psychosocial characteristics were examined for their association with the stage of condom use. Multiple logistic regression analysis found that a partner's reaction to condom use, condom use self-efficacy with the partner, condom use outcome expectancy with the partner, perceived partner risk, length of relationship, sterility, cohabitation, perceived vulnerability to HIV infection, and perceived peer norms about condom use were each independently related to staged condom use. Gender differences in the relationship of those independent variables with stages of change were found. Implications for intervention include differential treatment by gender and stage of change. Couples should also be considered for intervention.