Knowledge of HIV and condom use among heterosexual patients at a Glasgow genito-urinary medicine clinic.

Knowledge of HIV and knowledge of, attitudes to and use of the condom were assessed by a survey of a sample of 778 heterosexual patients attending the genito-urinary medicine clinic at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary. The mean age was 27.4 years for men and 24.5 years for women. Over two-thirds of the men and about half of the women reported more than one sexual partner during the previous year. More than 70% reported having intercourse at least three times each week. Knowledge about HIV transmission and the condom was generally good. Over three quarters of the respondents approved of the use of the condom. However, only 27% male and 24% female respondents reported using the condom, with 11% and 8% respectively using it always. Condom use was associated with a positive attitude to the condom, having received information from the media about the condom, educational status, a belief that condoms prevented sexually transmitted diseases, and having had sex education in school. It was unrelated to age, marital status, the number of sexual partners or the frequency of sexual intercourse. The most common reported reason for not using the condom was use of another form of contraceptive.