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Condom use in incarcerated adolescent males: knowledge and practice.
Andrea T Bortot1, William L Risser, Polly F Cromwell
1Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas-Houston Health Sciences Center, Houston, Texas, USA. andreabortot@pol.net
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
|December 31, 2005
Summary
Adolescents in juvenile detention made few condom errors. They learned correct condom use through demonstrations, reading package inserts, and explanations, which are easily implementable methods.
Area of Science:
- Adolescent Health
- Sexual Health Education
- Public Health
Background:
- Limited data exists on adolescent condom usage effectiveness and learning sources.
- Understanding these factors is crucial for developing targeted sexual health interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the frequency of incorrect condom use among incarcerated male adolescents.
- To identify where, how, and from whom these adolescents learned about condom application.
Main Methods:
- An interviewer-administered survey was conducted with 141 males during intake physicals at a juvenile detention center.
- Data collection relied on self-reported information regarding condom use and learning experiences.
Main Results:
- Common condom errors included not securing the condom during withdrawal (37%), losing erection before removal (18%), and not leaving space at the tip (14%).
- Adolescents learned about condoms from home (27%), school (23%), detention facilities (14%), and community programs (3.4%).
- Sources of information included educators/counselors (37%), family (27%), and friends (6.9%), with learning methods involving reading inserts (45%), demonstrations (39%), and explanations (33%).
Conclusions:
- Incarcerated male adolescents demonstrated relatively few errors in condom usage.
- Effective learning methods for correct condom application included demonstrations, reading package inserts, and verbal explanations.
- Reading package inserts and hearing explanations are practical and easily implementable strategies for sexual health education.