Associations between condom experiences and beliefs, intentions, and use in a sample of urban, low-income, African-American and Hispanic youth.

This paper discusses negative experiences with using condoms reported by the condom user subsample of (n = 975) of a household probability sample of low income, urban, African-American and Hispanic youth. Condom users were asked about 12 specific experiences with condoms. Although the pattern of the association varied with the particular belief and experience, it appeared that, overall, having had a negative experience increased the likelihood that the user would agree with a negative belief about condoms (p < or = .005). In addition, users who had experienced a condom making it hard to move in and out of the vagina or anus were less likely both to intend to use a condom and to have used a condom at last intercourse (p < or = .005). Condom use was also less likely if the user had experienced condoms interrupting love-making or reducing feeling or sensation.