INFLUENCE OF ATTITUDES ON THE INTENTION TO USE CONDOMS IN QUEBEC SEXUALLY ACTIVE MALE-ADOLESCENTS

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of a ttitudes and other variables on the intention to use condoms in sexual ly active male adolescents. Methods: The survey was conducted from Apr il to June 1989 on a sample of 433 sexually active boys aged 12-19 yea rs registered in secondary schools in Laval, Quebec. Results: Informat ion on condoms provided by parents, peers, school, or media had no pos itive effect on male adolescents' intention to use condoms. Having a f avorable attitude towards contraceptive responsibility, however, was s ignificantly associated with the outcome variable. Endorsement of this responsibility seemed short-lived being replaced by the birth control pill in older adolescents. The study also found that in younger adole scents, intention to use condoms was significantly associated with sup portive parental attitudes. Conclusions: The results of this study hig hlight the importance of developing strategies to encourage sexually a ctive male adolescents to assume greater responsibility for using cond oms, and suggest that in order for programs to be effective, STD and a cquired immunodeficiency syndrome prevention should be done at younger ages while encouraging parents to take a greater role in sex educatio n.