Condom Characteristics: The Perceptions And Preferences of Men in the United States.

Perceptions regarding the consequences of condom use, as well as preferred characteristics of condoms, are examined in a nationally representative sample of 3,321 men aged 20-39. The psychological and interpersonal effect most often cited is that using a condom "shows that you are a concerned and caring person." This is particularly the case among black men and men who are young and have low educational attainments. However, the same men usually agree that using a condom sends unwanted messages to one's partner--for example, that doing so "makes your partner think that you have AIDS" and "shows that you think that your partner has AIDS." In contrast, white men and those who are highly educated tend to cite embarrassment when buying condoms as a frequent consequence of condom use. The device-related consequences cited most often, particularly among black, unmarried, young and poorly educated men, are that using a condom results in reduced sensation, that one must be careful during sex or the condom may break a nd that one must withdraw quickly after sex or the condom may come off. When purchasing condoms, most men look for those that are easy to put on, have the right amount of lubrication and stay on; these preferences are particularly prevalent among black men. Few men identify color, ribbing and partner's preference for condom type as important.

(Family Planning Perspectives, 25:67-73,1993)

A small but rapidly growing segment of the demographic literature is devoted to investigations of the determinants of condom use among men and women in the United States. Many of these investigations focus on the effect on condom use of either knowledge and attitudes about AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), or knowledge of the condom's efficacy in protecting the user from those diseases. (1) The number of studies on this topic is growing, as they are meant to inform education and intervention programs promoting the use of condoms.

Condom use is also affected by perceptions about its psychological, social or physical consequences. For example, the perception that using a condom will cause embarrassment or offend one's partner may be a significant factor in inhibiting its use. Information about both the prevalence of such perceptions and how those perceptions are affected by individual characteristics may thus be critical in designing effective condom promotion programs.

Since condom promotion is essentially a marketing effort, it is also important to note that condoms users may select from many types with a variety of attributes, such as lubricated or nonlubricated, spermicidal or nonspermicidal, ribbed or nonribbed, natural skin or latex, and with or without a reservoir tip. Condoms also come in many colors and thicknesses. A thorough knowledge of how consumer preferences are shaped by individual characteristics would allow providers to help clients select condoms with characteristics they are likely to find acceptable. However, investigations of consumer preferences have been conducted almost exclusively by condom manufacturing or marketing firms, and the results of those studies are therefore generally unavailable to researchers, program planners and policy analysts.

This study examines both perceptions about the consequences of condom use and preferences for various condom characteristics among adult males in the United States, and is the first systematic investigation of these topics. Perceptions regarding two dimensions of condom use are examined. The first dimension encompasses psychological and interpersonal consequences of condom use, or those having an impact on the relationship between the man and his partner. The second dimension involves the device-related consequences of condom use, including factors such as reduced physical sensation and the need to withdraw quickly after sex to avoid condom slippage during withdrawal. Consumer preferences, in this study, refer to those characteristics that a man looks for when selecting a condom.

Background