Knowledge and Attitude Towards Use of Condoms in HIV/AIDS Prevention Among Women of Reproductive Age (15 - 49) in Makindye Division.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the level of knowledge and determine attitude towards use of condoms in HIV/AIDS prevention among women of reproductive age (15-49) in Makindye Division, to help find new methods, or improve the old methods to improve the knowledge and attitude towards condom use, and therefore increase level of condom use among women of reproductive age in order to reduce the increasing prevalence of HIV/AIDS among women. METHODS: The study was cross sectional in nature and used a combination of quantitative data collection technique. An interviewer administered questionnaire was administered using systematic random sampling technique to survey of 334 women of reproductive age in Makindye division, from which results were analyzed using SPSS at Descriptive level. RESULTS: General knowledge about condom use in HIV prevention was high; (93.41%, 312/344) knew that HIV can be prevented by proper and consistent use of condoms. The attitude towards condom use was poor; (63.2%, 211/334) agreed that sex with a condom is un pleasurable, (59.6%, 199/344) agreed that it’s embarrassing for a woman to ask the partner to use a condom during sex, approximately half of the respondents (49.4%, 165/334) agreed that sex with a condom is painful. (46.1%, 154/334) of respondents were afraid that they might get physical/verbal/emotional abuse from the partner if she suggested condom use. (48.5%, 162/334) agreed that religion affects their need to use condoms, and of these the majority (40.1%, 65/334) said condom use is against the will of God. Many participants (48%,160/334) believed that it is unnecessary to use a condom with a long term partner. Level of condom use among respondents was low; although (88.62%, 296/334) had ever used condoms, most (52%, 154/296) of the respondents used condoms mostly to prevent pregnancy, almost all the respondents who reported to have ever used a condom were conversant with the male type of condom, majority (74.77%, 221/296) had not been using condoms consistently in the last six months. (52.4%, 175/334) said they were not planning to continue using condoms consistently, (46.7%, 156/334) of respondents confessed to have had unprotected sex because condoms are not available at the time of sex. CONCLUSION: Despite the high levels of knowledge about condoms and condom use among women of reproductive age in Makindye division, several of them had a poor attitude towards condom use although some reflected a good attitude in relation to their condom use levels. The general low use was attributed to reasons like painful and unpleasurable sex associated with condoms in addition to the embarrassment women felt both in purchasing or carrying a condom during sexual intercourse because they considered this to be is a man’s responsibility.