Many young men
could use a bit more instruction on proper condom use,
according to the lead author of a new study that found
nearly one in three recently experienced condom
breakage.
"We give condoms
away all the time, and unfortunately that's often all
that we do," R.A. Crosby of the University of Kentucky in
Lexington told Reuters Health. "I think it's important to
take men beyond consistent use when we make attempts
to intervene, and to promote the correct use as
well."
Crosby and his
colleagues interviewed 278 men between the ages of 18 and
35 attending a public sexually transmitted infection clinic
to understand how frequently and why condom breakage
occurs. All of the men reported using a condom during
intercourse at least three times in the previous three
months.
Thirty-one
percent reported at least one recent instance of condom
breakage. Men who previously had a sexually transmitted
infection were twice as likely to report condom
breakage, while men who reported problems with condom
slippage were nearly three times as likely to have
problems with condom breakage. Those who said they didn't
feel confident with their ability to use condoms were
also more likely to have experienced condom breakage.
Other risk
factors were allowing condoms to contact a sharp object,
having problems with the fit and feel of condoms, and not
squeezing air from the condom's receptacle tip. Each
of these three factors doubled the risk of condom
breakage.
The findings show
that identifying men who need more information on how
to use a condom could be as simple as asking them if they
have problems with condom breakage or slippage, have
had a sexually transmitted infection in the past, or
don't feel confident about using condoms, Crosby
noted.
Men should also
be instructed to avoid letting teeth, nails, or other
sharp objects come in contact with a condom, he added, and
they should never use scissors to open a condom
package.
He added that
sexually transmitted disease clinics should ideally provide
a range of sizes and brands of condoms to their clients so
men can find the best fit. (Anne Harding, Reuters)