Predicting condom use with casual and steady sex partners among drug users

In many Western societies, drug users are accountable for heterosexual tran smission of HIV. Although various studies have shown that safe sex is not a common practice among drug users, we still have little understanding of th e factors that determine their use of condoms in their sexual relationships with steady or casual partners. The objective of this study is to gain mor e insight into the determinants of drug users' condom use with steady and c asual sex partners. In a study conducted among 103 Dutch drug users, the pa rticipants indicated their intentions, vulnerability, attitude, personal no rms, subjective norms, descriptive norms, self-efficacy and response effica cy regarding condom use with steady and casual partners, The results showed that some drug users had borrowed used syringes and that most drug users p ractise unsafe sex, especially with steady partners. Most drug users were h ardly motivated to start using condoms. The study further showed that antec edents of condom use differ with regard to steady sex partners and casual s ex partners. Self-efficacy and subjective norms were predictors of intentio ns to use condoms with steady partners; intention to use condoms with casua l partners was only predicted by self-efficacy. These differences should be taken into account when designing AIDS prevention interventions to encoura ge use of condoms.