Abstract

Objectives Unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections may be prevented by using barrier contraceptives such as condoms. However, condoms are not consistently used by sexually active individuals. This study was conducted to assess patient characteristics and behaviors associated with consistent condom use in college-aged women. Methods Female college students ≤26 years old were recruited at University of Central Florida Health Services to complete a 19-item questionnaire containing items regarding demographic information, medical history, and sexual history. Subjects reporting use of male or female condoms "100% of the time" and "50-99% of the time" were considered consistent users, while those reporting "0% of the time" were categorized as non-users. Results Of 86 participants, 52.3% reported consistent use of male or female condoms (median age 21) while 26.7% reported no use (median age 23). In a logistic multiple regression model, factors associated with consistent use included younger age (OR 0.54, 95% CI [0.33-0.88]), increased number of partners in the last 6 months (OR 6.61, 95% CI [1.89-6.61]), and never smoking (OR 7.55, 95% CI [1.05-54.55]). Race/ethnicity, gravidity, parity, use of hormonal contraception, history of sexually transmitted infections or abnormal cervical cytology, and age at first coitus were not significantly associated with condom use. Conclusion Women who consistently use condoms are more likely to have never smoked, to be younger, and to have had a greater number of sexual partners in the past 6 months, compared to women who never use barrier contraceptives.