CONDOM USE AMONG HISPANIC MEN WITH SECONDARY FEMALE SEXUAL PARTNERS

Greater understanding of psychosocial predictors of the use of condoms among Hispanics is needed in prevention efforts related to the human immunodeficiency virus and sexually transmitted disease epidemics amon g Hispanics in the United States. A telephone survey was carried out i n nine States that have large populations of Hispanics, using a strati fied clustered random digit dialing sampling strategy. The survey yiel ded interviews with 968 Hispanic men ages 18-49 years. Of them, 361 (3 7.8 percent) reported at least one secondary female sexual partner in the 12 months prior to the interview. Predictors were identified of co ndom use by those men with their secondary sex partners. Key predictor s of the subjects' condom use with secondary partners included carryin g condoms; self-efficacy, or a measure of the subject's perceived abil ity to use condoms under difficult circumstances; positive attitude to ward condom use; having friends who used condoms; and lack of symptoms of depression in the week before the interview (R(2) = 0.35). Signifi cant predictors of condom carrying were being comfortable in sexual si tuations, positive attitude toward condom use, and self-efficacy to us e condoms. Less acculturated men had more positive attitudes toward co ndom use and carried them more than did more acculturated men. The res earchers found encouraging levels of condom use with secondary sexual partners among Hispanic men with multiple partners. Because of the lar ge proportion of Hispanic men who have multiple partners and the sever ity of the sexually transmitted disease epidemics in the Hispanic comm unity, health care providers should recommend to Hispanic men that the y carry and use condoms, point out the acceptability of men using cond oms, and assess and teach basic sexual information in that group. Refe rral may be appropriate for highrisk Hispanic men with symptoms of dep ression.