Decision-making over condom use during menses to avert sexually transmitted infections
Decision-making over condom use during menses to avert sexually transmitted infections
Objective: To test the hypothesis that receptive partners in penile-vaginal intercourse (PVI) who exercise independent decision making over condom use during menses do so to avert STI transmission/acquisition.
Methods: Data were collected through a partnership with Clue, the industry-leading female healthapp. A brief web-based questionnaire was developed, translated into 10 languages, and made accessible via a url link sent to Clue users and posted on social media. Inclusion criteria were: age 14 years or older, not being currently pregnant, and engaging in penile-vaginal intercourse (PVI) and condom use during menses in the past 3 months. The analytic sub-sample comprised 12,889 respondents residing in 146 countries.
Results: Twenty percent indicated independent decision-making about condom use during menses. Independent decision-making was associated with lower odds of reporting that condoms were used for contraception (AOR=.65; 99% CI=.57-.73) and higher odds that they were used for the prevention of STIs (AOR=1.44; 99% CI=1.28-1.61). A third significant finding pertained to always using condoms during menses; this was less likely among those indicating independent (female only) decision-making (AOR=.69; 99% CI=.62-.78). Non-significant associations with two other outcomes occurred: protecting the partner against menstrual blood, and protecting themselves against semen.
Conclusion: Findings from persons in 146 countries strongly support the hypothesis that those exercising independent decision-making over condom use during menses do so to avert STI transmission/acquisition. That only one-fifth of this global sample reported this type of independent decision-making suggests that empowerment-oriented (structural-level) interventions may be advantageous for individuals who are the receptive partner in PVI that occurs during menses.
Graham, Cynthia
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Crosby, Richard
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Sanders, Stephanie
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Wheeler, Marija V.
86bca514-4bb2-484c-b6cc-6cebfcd21279
Virginia, Vitzthum
fc7209e4-b69c-4c30-a708-4505c3b38e96
Milhausen, Robin
d6e78d8f-c05a-4c64-a8f7-5b7204ccc12b
Yarber, William
b2aa9a78-ba6c-430e-834e-3a1acaa8db6b
Graham, Cynthia
ac400331-f231-4449-a69b-ec9a477224c8
Crosby, Richard
2801f68b-3b83-422a-9687-9bade8502cf9
Sanders, Stephanie
d0b73b10-848f-4bc4-a440-4eb32476298e
Wheeler, Marija V.
86bca514-4bb2-484c-b6cc-6cebfcd21279
Virginia, Vitzthum
fc7209e4-b69c-4c30-a708-4505c3b38e96
Milhausen, Robin
d6e78d8f-c05a-4c64-a8f7-5b7204ccc12b
Yarber, William
b2aa9a78-ba6c-430e-834e-3a1acaa8db6b
Graham, Cynthia, Crosby, Richard, Sanders, Stephanie, Wheeler, Marija V., Virginia, Vitzthum, Milhausen, Robin and Yarber, William
(2018)
Decision-making over condom use during menses to avert sexually transmitted infections.
Sexual Health.
(In Press)
Abstract
Objective: To test the hypothesis that receptive partners in penile-vaginal intercourse (PVI) who exercise independent decision making over condom use during menses do so to avert STI transmission/acquisition.
Methods: Data were collected through a partnership with Clue, the industry-leading female healthapp. A brief web-based questionnaire was developed, translated into 10 languages, and made accessible via a url link sent to Clue users and posted on social media. Inclusion criteria were: age 14 years or older, not being currently pregnant, and engaging in penile-vaginal intercourse (PVI) and condom use during menses in the past 3 months. The analytic sub-sample comprised 12,889 respondents residing in 146 countries.
Results: Twenty percent indicated independent decision-making about condom use during menses. Independent decision-making was associated with lower odds of reporting that condoms were used for contraception (AOR=.65; 99% CI=.57-.73) and higher odds that they were used for the prevention of STIs (AOR=1.44; 99% CI=1.28-1.61). A third significant finding pertained to always using condoms during menses; this was less likely among those indicating independent (female only) decision-making (AOR=.69; 99% CI=.62-.78). Non-significant associations with two other outcomes occurred: protecting the partner against menstrual blood, and protecting themselves against semen.
Conclusion: Findings from persons in 146 countries strongly support the hypothesis that those exercising independent decision-making over condom use during menses do so to avert STI transmission/acquisition. That only one-fifth of this global sample reported this type of independent decision-making suggests that empowerment-oriented (structural-level) interventions may be advantageous for individuals who are the receptive partner in PVI that occurs during menses.
Text
Decisions Final
- Accepted Manuscript
More information
Accepted/In Press date: 20 September 2018
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 423762
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/423762
ISSN: 1448-5028
PURE UUID: 719fda08-1a98-4d75-b595-6b6e70871d8e
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Date deposited: 01 Oct 2018 16:30
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 04:09
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Contributors
Author:
Richard Crosby
Author:
Stephanie Sanders
Author:
Marija V. Wheeler
Author:
Vitzthum Virginia
Author:
Robin Milhausen
Author:
William Yarber
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