Condom-use patterns among women who live in public housing developments in Ponce, Puerto Rico

Abstract:Background. Understanding condom-use patterns and the reasons that women have for choosing not to use condoms with their sexual partners, (both steady and non-steady), is important to the development and implementation of targeted, culturally appropriate interventions that can promote condom use in low-income and impoverished women. Methods. A total of 386 women from four public housing developments in Ponce, Puerto Rico, underwent HIV/STI testing and completed a self-administered questionnaire. Data were collected from August 2008 to October 2010. Results. Reported levels of condom use were low with both steady and non-steady sexual partners. Reasons given for not using condoms with both partner types included the respondent claiming to know her partner well, a general dislike for condoms, not having condoms available, and perceiving no need for them. Conclusions. These findings provide a foundation on which to build an intervention to promote condom use among impoverished women who live in public housing in Puerto Rico in addition to other disadvantaged or impoverished women. It is imperative that health practitioners consider the reasons that these women have for not using condoms in order to inform the development and implementation of effective HIV-prevention interventions.