GENDER-RELATED CORRELATES AND PREDICTORS OF CONSISTENT CONDOM USE AMONG YOUNG-ADULT AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMEN - A PROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS

The present study examined the correlates of consistent condom use amo ng African-American women and prospectively evaluated the stability of these significant variables to predict consistent condom use at 3-mon th follow-up. A sample of 128 African-American women, 18-29 years of a ge completed a baseline interview and 3 months later completed a simil ar follow-up interview (n=100). Compared to women who were inconsisten t condom users, women who were consistent condom users were more Likel y to: have high assertive communication skills (OR=13), desire not bec oming pregnant (OR=8.6), have high sexual self-control over condom use (OR=7.6), perceive having control over their partners' use of condoms (OR=6.6), be younger (OR=5.8), and report having a partner that was n ot committed to the relationship (OR=3.3). Prospective analyses identi fied baseline level of condom use as the best predictor of condom use at 3-month follow-up. Women who were consistent condom users at baseli ne were 6.3 times as likely to be consistent condom users at 3-month f ollow-up. In conclusion, HIV prevention programmes for women need to b e gender specific and need to be implemented before high-risk behaviou rs are established and may be more difficult to modify.