How Often Do Condoms Fail?
This is one of the first studies to quantify the occurrence of condom use errors and problems among MSM. Incomplete use of condoms and condom failures were common, and our findings indicate that condoms likely offer black MSM less protection against HIV/STI compared with white MSM. The public health implications are clear. First, improving condom use proficiency and reducing the use of oil-based lubricants among MSM should be incorporated into prevention programmes. Second, there is a need to consider supply-side research to develop better condom options for MSM. Third, researchers should carefully assess risk-inducing condom events when measuring the sexual behaviours of MSM. Finally, UAI events may be subject to misclassification bias, indicating the need to incorporate more refined measures of condom use into HIV prevention research and behavioural surveillance of MSM.
Conclusions
This is one of the first studies to quantify the occurrence of condom use errors and problems among MSM. Incomplete use of condoms and condom failures were common, and our findings indicate that condoms likely offer black MSM less protection against HIV/STI compared with white MSM. The public health implications are clear. First, improving condom use proficiency and reducing the use of oil-based lubricants among MSM should be incorporated into prevention programmes. Second, there is a need to consider supply-side research to develop better condom options for MSM. Third, researchers should carefully assess risk-inducing condom events when measuring the sexual behaviours of MSM. Finally, UAI events may be subject to misclassification bias, indicating the need to incorporate more refined measures of condom use into HIV prevention research and behavioural surveillance of MSM.