Condom Use Errors and Problems in a Sample of Young Colombian Adults

Condom effectiveness can be reduced by a number of problems and errors that take place during use. The purpose of the present study was to translate and adapt the Condom Use Errors and Problems Survey (CUES) into Spanish and to use it for testing the prevalence of these issues in a sample of young Colombian adults. A total of 775 people (414 women and 361 men) between 18 and 26 years of age participated in the study. Participants completed the following questionnaires online: Condom Use Errors and Problems Survey, Sexual Opinion Survey, Sexual Assertiveness Scale, Multidimensional Condom Attitudes Scale, a sociodemographic and sexual history questionnaire, plus two questions concerning condom-associated erectile problems. Results showed significant differences in the prevalence of condom use errors/problems associated with gender, sexual orientation, and whether the participant had a stable sexual partner. The occurrence of problems/errors ranged from 9.4% to 69.5%. Except for certain specific practices, observations were similar to those of studies performed in North America. Results indicate that the present linguistic adaptation of the CUES for its use in Colombian Spanish-speaking populations is an effective instrument to assess problems and errors associated with the use of male condoms.