Determinants of condom use among French heterosexuals with multiple partners

Abstract

In September 1988, a sample of French individuals between 18 and 49 years of age, who reported more than one sexual partner in the past six months and who considered themselves heterosexuals (n = 1088), were interviewed at home about risk perception of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission, sexual behavior, and condom use. Systematic or occasional use of condoms during the previous 12 months was reported by 46.9 percent of respondents. Among condom users, 38.7 percent declared they had never used condoms before the last 12 months, fear of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) rather than contraception being the main motivation of these recent users. Multivariate analysis indicates that voluntary testing for HIV, average or more than average fear of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and knowledge of HIV carrier in personal relations are associated with condom use.