Stages of Consistent Condom Use, Partner Intimacy, Condom Use Attitude, and Self-Efficacy in African-American Crack Cocaine Users

Abstract

This study examined how condom use attitude, self-efficacy, and partner intimacy related to five stages of consistent condom use. Interview data were collected from sexually active, heterosexual, African-American crack cocaine smokers (N = 366). Dependent measures assessed both the participants' own responses and their perceptions about their last sex partner's own personal condom use attitude and participants' condom use self-efficacy expectations. Partner intimacy was assessed both as a continuous attitudinal and as a discrete relationship measure. Less than 10% were classified as consistent condom users. Two thirds of inconsistent users were in the Precontemplation (PC) stage. The contemplation (C) and preparation (P) stages were equal among the remainder of the inconsistent condom users. Higher partner intimacy reduced modestly readiness for consistent condom use. The stage but not the intimacy group was related to the condom use attitudes and self-efficacy measures. Last partners' perceived own negative attitudes were significantly related to the stages of consistent condom use and was especially low in the action (A) and maintenance (M) stages. Participants' own negative attitudes were unrelated to the stages. Of the self-efficacy measures, both participants' performance and situational condom use self-efficacies increased significantly after the PC stage and were highest in the P, A, and M stages. However, situational self-efficacy accounted for most of performance self-efficacy variance. In sum, consistent condom use was rare. A partner's attitudes and the participants' own situational self-efficacy expectations, rather than intimacy, determined the readiness to adopt consistent condom use.

Comportamientos sexuales de riesgo en pacientes brasileños dependientes de drogas no inyectables

“…These findings are similar to those presented in the literature (Harzke, Williams, & Bowen, 2009;Pallonen, Timpson, Williams, & Ross, 2009). Evidences show that high level of dependence on alcohol and illegal drugs increased the probability of belonging to the group with the highest sexual risk, independent of gender (Celentano et al, 2008;Dickson-Gomez et al, 2012;Mitchell et al, 2009).…”

“…Many studies have identified high levels of sexual risk behaviors among crack users (Atkinson et al, 2010;de Souza et al, 2002;Dickson-Gomez et al, 2012), including sex with multiple partners, inconsistent or non-use of condoms, and high rates of exchanging sex for drugs (Dickson-Gomez et al, 2012;Pallonen et al, 2009;Schönnesson et al, 2008). In our sample, however, the high sexual risk group was observed in individual who snorted cocaine and the use of opiate and alcohol as their DOC.…”

Condom use and intimacy among Tajik male migrants and their regular female partners in Moscow

“…Pallonen et al (2009) described a gradient of intimacy in which a loved and trusted partner was the most intimate, casual sex partners were intermediately intimate, and sex workers and unfamiliar partners were the least intimate. One study in Thailand revealed that male labour migrants’ condom use depended on the female partner type: 79% always used condoms with sex workers, 51% always used condoms with non-regular partners, and 1% always used condoms with their regular partner (Ford and Chamrathrithirong 2007).…”

Emotional Intimacy Power Predicts Different Sexual Experiences for Men and Women

“…For example, in romantic relationships it may be that patterns of condom use have already been established over time, and both partners are aware of the other's desires to use or not to use condoms. Research has found that perceptions of partner attitudes towards condoms predicts condom use (Edwards & Barber, 2010b;Pallonen, Timpson, Williams, & Ross, 2009).…”