SHORT-TERM ACCEPTABILITY OF THE FEMALE CONDOM AMONG STAFF AND PATIENTS AT A NEW-YORK-CITY HOSPITAL

An acceptability study of the female condom undertaken at New York's H arlem Hospital between August 1993 and February 1994 enrolled 52 women aged 18-57, 41 of whom (79%) used the female condom at least once. Of these, one-half used the female condom at least three times and 40% u sed it once; on average, women used it 2.4 times. Two-thirds of users liked the female condom either very much or somewhat, 20% were neutral and 15% stated that they did not like it. One-half of the women repor ted that their partner liked the device, while 17% said he felt neutra l about it and approximately one-quarter said he disliked it. Seventy- three percent of respondents and 44% of their partners preferred the f emale condom to the male condom.