Army Women's Reasons for Condom Use and Nonuse

von Sadovszky, Victoria; Ryan-Wenger, Nancy; Germann, Sara; Evans, Megan; Fortney, Christine

doi:10.1016/j.whi.2008.01.004

« Previous Next »Women's Health Issues
Volume 18, Issue 3 , Pages 174-180, May 2008

Army Women's Reasons for Condom Use and Nonuse

Victoria von Sadovszky, PhD, RN
- College of Nursing, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
- Victoria von Sadovszky, PhD, RN, is an Assistant Professor in the College of Nursing at The Ohio State University. Her research focus is the promotion of safer sexual practices in young women.
- Correspondence to: Victoria von Sadovszky, PhD, RN, The Ohio State University, 1585 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210.
Nancy Ryan-Wenger, PhD, RN
- College of Nursing, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
- Nancy Ryan-Wenger, PhD, RN, CPNP, FAAN, is a Professor in the College of Nursing at The Ohio State University and the Director of Nursing Research at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.
Sara Germann, MS, RN
- College of Nursing, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
- Sara Germann, MS, RN, is a Doctoral Student at The Ohio State University.
Megan Evans, BSN, RN
- Ohio State University Hospital East, Columbus, Ohio
- Megan Evans, BSN, RN, is a Nurse at The Ohio State University Medical Center.
Christine Fortney, MS, RN
- The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
- Christine Fortney, MS, RN, is a Doctoral Candidate at The Ohio State University.

Received 9 November 2007; accepted 15 January 2008. published online 25 March 2008.

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to examine Army women's condom use patterns, reasons for condom use and nonuse, and what is liked about and problems associated with condom use.

Methods

Army women (n = 131) from military posts around the country were recruited. The women ranged in age from 18 to 68 years (M = 30.5, SD = 10.5). The sample was of mixed ethnicity. Questionnaires were distributed by the units and returned directly to the principal investigator. Participants completed a series of anonymous open- and closed-ended questions regarding their experiences with condoms. Closed-ended questions were analyzed with descriptive statistics and open-ended responses were content analyzed (McLaughlin & Marascuilo, 1990).

Conclusions

Regular condom use was low in this sample. The most often cited responses as to why women liked using condoms included peace of mind, protection, or ease of use. The most cited problems and subsequent disuse included irritation/inflammation, breakage, improper fit, or ruining the moment. Results differed by consistency of condom use. Regular users of condoms reported a lower percentage of problems using condoms.