Predicting condom use with casual and steady sex partners among drug users

In many Western societies, drug users are accountable for heterosexual transmission of HIV. Although various studies have shown that safe sex is not a common practice among drug users, we still have little understanding of the factors that determine their use of condoms in their sexual relationships with steady or casual partners. The objective of this study is to gain more insight into the determinants of drug users' condom use with steady and casual sex partners. In a study conducted among 103 Dutch drug users, the participants indicated their intentions, vulnerability, attitude, personal norms, subjective norms, descriptive norms, self-efficacy and response efficacy regarding condom use with steady and casual partners. The results showed that some drug users had borrowed used syringes and that most drug users practise unsafe sex, especially with steady partners. Most drug users were hardly motivated to start using condoms. The study further showed that antecedents of condom use differ with regard to steady sex partners and casual sex partners. Self-efficacy and subjective norms were predictors of intentions to use condoms with steady partners; intention to use condoms with casual partners was only predicted by self-efficacy. These differences should be taken into account when designing AIDS prevention interventions to encourage use of condoms.