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The efficacy of female condom skills training in HIV risk reduction among women: a randomized controlled trial.

AUTHORS: Choi KH, Hoff C, Gregorich SE, Grinstead O, Gomez C, Hussey W.

SOURCE: Am J Public Health. 2008 Oct;98(10):1841-8.

Back ground: In view that HIV infection is currently perceived by many people as an ordinary chronic disease, It is even more important to find more ways to limit this plague, which is far from being demolished or even definitely cured.

OBJECTIVES: This work evaluated the efficacy of skills training designed to increase female condom use among women.
METHODS: This work conducted a randomized controlled trial of 409 women, recruited from family planning clinics in northern California, who were randomly assigned to the experimental 4-session female condom skills training intervention or the comparison 4-session women's general health promotion intervention. Participants received condom use instructions at baseline and male and female condoms during the study. They completed audio computer-assisted self-interviews at baseline and at 3 and 6 months.

RESULTS: At 3 and 6 months, women in the experimental group were more likely than those in the comparison group to have used the female condom at least once in the prior 3 months. The increase in the percentage of sexual acts protected by female condoms from baseline to the 6-month follow-up was greater for the experimental group. The percentage of sexual acts during which any condom was employed was higher in the experimental group at 6 months. There were no group differences in male condom use.

CONCLUSIONS: Outcomes suggest that skills training can increase female condom use and protected sexual acts without reducing male condom use among women.