Correlates of condom use stage of change: Implications for intervention

A telephone survey was used to collect data on attitudes, beliefs, and prac tices concerning condom use among 812 African Americans with regular sex pa rtners and of reproductive age in Baltimore. Condom use was "staged" accord ing to Prochaska's model of stage of behavioral change. Characteristics of the respondents' sexual relationships, peer characteristics, and demographi c and psychosocial characteristics were examined for their association with the stage of condom use. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed th at a partner's reaction to condom use, condom use self-efficacy with the pa rtner, condom use outcome expectancy with the partner, perceived partner ri sk, length of relationship, sterility, cohabitation, perceived vulnerabilit y to HN infection and perceived peer norms about condom use were each indep endently related to staged condom use. Gender differences in the relationsh ip of these independent variables with stages of change were found. Implica tions for intervention include differential treatment by gender and stage o f change. Couples should also be considered for intervention.