Millennial Student Embarrassment Toward Condom Purchase/Acquisition

Abstract

While adolescents seem aware of the need for condom use, sexual practices do not always reflectthis awareness. Recent research indicates that sexually active adolescents aged 15-24 acquire half of allnew sexually transmitted infections (STI’s). Often times, condoms are not used due to embarrassment. Assuch, the purpose of this research was to examine the attitude of embarrassment as it relates to condomuse, acquisition, and negotiation. Data were drawn from a sample of 278 college students at a midsizeduniversity in the Southeastern United States during the spring of 2016. The results of this study foundthat nearly twenty ve percent of the male sample (22.7%) and less than 20 percent (19.6%) of femalesreported using a condom all the time. There was a signi cant difference between males and females withfemales reporting greater overall condom embarrassment. Additionally, there were signi cant differencesbetween males and females related to condom acquisition. Given the efficacy of condom use in preventingmany sexually transmitted infections (STI’s) and unintended pregnancy, understanding potential barriersto their use is important if public health professionals are to reach the Healthy People 2020 goals relativeto condom use.

Condoms on Campus: Understanding College Students’ Embarrassment, Self-Efficacy, and Beliefs about Distribution Programs

“…28 However, the finding that men had more embarrassment in negotiation and actual use than women was unexpected. This is inconsistent with previous studies on college student embarrassment about condoms, which found women having higher rates of embarrassment in general 17 and during acquisition, 17,18 but no significant differences between men and women related to negotiation and actual use. 17 There are a few potential reasons for the findings of the current study.…”

“…This is inconsistent with previous studies on college student embarrassment about condoms, which found women having higher rates of embarrassment in general 17 and during acquisition, 17,18 but no significant differences between men and women related to negotiation and actual use. 17 There are a few potential reasons for the findings of the current study. Given that most of the condom use of participants related to male condom use, perhaps men felt an additional burden to be knowledgeable and competent in their use.…”

“…Although the overall rates of self-efficacy were high, focus on groups with lower rates-noncondom users, women, and single people-is needed. Interventions successful in affecting condom self-efficacy among college students are connected to increased condom use and intent to use condoms, 17,21 and there are a variety of formats that can be implemented. Calloway and colleagues 34 used a peer education model at a Historically Black College, whereas Ricks and colleagues 19 worked with sexually active couples to increase self-efficacy.…”

“…14 Intrapersonal factors, such as condom embarrassment and condom self-efficacy, have also been connected to condom use. 15,16 Condom embarrassment 17,18 and condom self-efficacy 19 have been examined previously among college students, and results have programmatic implications for prevention initiatives. Students who have higher rates of embarrassment are more likely to acquire condoms through free on-campus options than students with lower rates of embarrassment.…”