CONDOM USE WITH CASUAL PARTNERS BY MEN IN KAMPALA, UGANDA

Objective: To estimate the prevalence and correlates of condom use wit h casual sex partners by men in urban Uganda and to identify barriers to condom use that are amenable to intervention. Design: Cross-section al, door-to-door survey of men residing in a poor area of Kampala, Uga nda. Subjects and methods: A multistage, probability sample was approx imated by recruiting participants within randomly selected neighborhoo ds. A total of 301 men between the ages of 18 and 45 years answered qu estions about condom knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and practices. The respondents also provided demographic and HIV risk-related information . Results: Condom use was higher than previously found in studies in U ganda: 46% of men reported using a condom at the last casual sexual en counter; 31% reported always using condoms with casual partners. In mu ltivariate analysis, independent correlates of condom use included hig her condom self-efficacy (4-item scale, odds ratio 1.3 per scale point ), tower embarrassment around condoms (3-item scale, odds ratio 0.44 p er scale point), knowing where to buy a condom (odds ratio 3.9), knowi ng how to use a condom (8-item scale, odds ratio 1.4 per scale point), and increasing number of casual sex partners (odds ratio 1.4 per part ner). Conclusions: These data suggest that condom use may be further i ncreased in this population by conducting demonstrations of condom use skills, preparing individuals to anticipate circumstances that make u sing condoms difficult and using a variety of outlets to dispense cond oms.