Use of condoms for protection against sexually transmitted diseases (S
TDs) was examined over a nine-month period among 536 women from 17 cli
nics in southeastern Texas who had selected the injectable depot-medro
xyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) as a contraceptive. Among women who were
using condoms prior to receiving DMPA, nearly half said they never or
rarely did so after initiating DMPA use; only 18% of all women in the
study used condoms consistently while relying on DMPA. Factors associ
ated with consistent condom use were being black (odds ratio of 2.0),
being unmarried (odds ratio of 2.2), having a history of STD infection
(odds ration of 1.8), having previously used condoms (odds ratio of 2
.7) and having no interest in future child-bearing (odds ratio of 1.8)
. our data suggest that the majority of users of injectable may not be
protected from exposure to the human immunodeficiency virus and other
STDs.