HIV prevention in single, urban women: condom-use readiness.

OBJECTIVE

To understand women's readiness to use condoms and their perceived pros and cons for condom use.

DESIGN

Comparative, descriptive design guided by the Transtheoretical Model.

SETTING

Data were collected at two urban primary health care centers in western New York.

PARTICIPANTS

364 single urban women with steady (main) or other (casual, concurrent, multiple, new) sexual partners. Most participants were young (mean age of 27 years), economically disadvantaged women of color.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Each participant completed an anonymous questionnaire that included items for the stage of change algorithm, decisional balance of the pros and cons of condom use, sexual history, and HIV risk information.

RESULTS

Most women were in the early stages of change (not intending to use condoms), but those with other partners were further along in the stages of change for condom use than those with steady partners. The pros or advantages of condom use differed for these women depending on partner type. The change in the balance between the pros and cons occurred as theoretically predicted for women with steady and other partners.

CONCLUSION

Effectiveness of HIV prevention interventions for women may be enhanced if they are tailored to both readiness to change and partner type.