Psychosocial factors associated with condom use among African-American drug abusers in treatment.

Although strategies for decreasing injection drug use have met with moderate success, efforts to decrease high-risk sexual behaviors have been less successful. Because condom use reduces HIV transmission, it is critically important to identify the attitudinal, emotional, and behavioral factors associated with using condoms. This study evaluated the relationship between condom use and various psychological and behavioral variables among heterosexual, African-American, cocaine-dependent men within the context of the AIDS Risk Reduction Model (ARRM). Subjects who used condoms (n = 52) reported significantly higher levels of self-efficacy, condom use skills, and sexual communication with partners than non-users (n = 84). However, the groups did not differ in perceived susceptibility, anxiety concerning HIV transmission, response efficacy, or knowledge regarding HIV. These findings suggest that future interventions focus on enhancing self-efficacy and condom use skills, as well as eroticizing condom use.