TY - JOUR
T1 - Safer sex and condom use
T2 - Findings from the Second Australian Study of Health and Relationships
AU - De Visser, Richard O.
AU - Badcock, Paul B.
AU - Rissel, Chris
AU - Richters, Juliet
AU - Smith, Anthony M.A.
AU - Grulich, Andrew E.
AU - Simpson, Judy M.
PY - 2014/11/7
Y1 - 2014/11/7
N2 - Background: It is important to have current and reliable estimates of the frequency and correlates of condom use among Australian adults. Methods: A representative sample of 20 094 men and women aged 16-69 years, from all states and territories, completed computer-assisted telephone interviews. The overall participation rate among eligible people was 66.2%. Results : Although most respondents had used a condom at some time in their lives, fewer than half of those who were sexually active in the year before being interviewed had used a condom in that year. Condom use in the last year was associated with youth, speaking a language other than English at home, bisexual identity, greater education, residence in major cities, lower income and having multiple sexual partners in the last year. One-quarter of respondents used a condom the last time they had vaginal intercourse and one-sixth of these were put on after genital contact. Condom use during most recent vaginal sex was associated with youth, lower income, having sex with a non-regular partner and not using another form of contraception. Condom use appears to have increased between 2001-02 and 2012-13. Conclusion: Consistent with other research, this study showed that condom use was strongly associated with partner type and use of other contraception. There may be a need to highlight among people with multiple sexual partners the fact that non-barrier methods of contraception do not offer protection against sexually transmissible infections. The finding that many condoms were applied after genital contact suggests a need to promote both use and correct use of condoms.
AB - Background: It is important to have current and reliable estimates of the frequency and correlates of condom use among Australian adults. Methods: A representative sample of 20 094 men and women aged 16-69 years, from all states and territories, completed computer-assisted telephone interviews. The overall participation rate among eligible people was 66.2%. Results : Although most respondents had used a condom at some time in their lives, fewer than half of those who were sexually active in the year before being interviewed had used a condom in that year. Condom use in the last year was associated with youth, speaking a language other than English at home, bisexual identity, greater education, residence in major cities, lower income and having multiple sexual partners in the last year. One-quarter of respondents used a condom the last time they had vaginal intercourse and one-sixth of these were put on after genital contact. Condom use during most recent vaginal sex was associated with youth, lower income, having sex with a non-regular partner and not using another form of contraception. Condom use appears to have increased between 2001-02 and 2012-13. Conclusion: Consistent with other research, this study showed that condom use was strongly associated with partner type and use of other contraception. There may be a need to highlight among people with multiple sexual partners the fact that non-barrier methods of contraception do not offer protection against sexually transmissible infections. The finding that many condoms were applied after genital contact suggests a need to promote both use and correct use of condoms.
KW - Contraception
KW - Cross-sectional studies
KW - Health surveys
KW - HIV prevention
KW - National survey
KW - Sexual behaviour
KW - STI prevention
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84910057531&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://purl.org/au-research/grants/NHMRC/1002174
U2 - 10.1071/SH14102
DO - 10.1071/SH14102
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84910057531
VL - 11
SP - 495
EP - 504
JO - Sexual Health
JF - Sexual Health
SN - 1448-5028
IS - 5
ER -