CONDOM USE
Abstract
The last time I used condom, and as I have had during the last sexual intercourse, has proved to be a proxy for consistent examined study of condom usage. The results of condom use as explained by individuals have shown a proximate factor that is used to determine condom use by various organizations who deal with health matters. Sexual activities by people within an average age of 30 respond actively to organizations that study on HIV/AIDs, Sexually Transmitted diseases among other influences of unprotected sex. This research shows that about 24% percent of sexually active and capable of reproduction use condom. About 76% percent did not used condoms during the last sex.
In various locations of the earth, people have proved to greatly improve family planning by use of condom as the one and the only way of managing families, especially in African countries. Statistics have concluded that evolution of condom use, understanding effects and predicators of condom use are critically leading to decreased cases of deaths from sexually transmitted diseases. Although condom use have increased in many parts of the world ,the result of this research is shocking and something needs to be done to curb this trend.
Factors Affecting Use of Condoms in the Modern Society
There are several reasons why condom use is preferred compared to other methods of preventing STDs and unwanted pregnancy among other consequences of unprotected sex. In most parts of the world, sexually transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDs are widely spread basically because of changing behavior that would rather promote protected sex and safer intercourse. Organizations like WHO and AIDSCAP have put enormous efforts in preaching use of condoms during every sexual intercourse. In their campaigns, they prescribe doses for HIV/AIDs infected people and provide free and ready to use condoms. They visit the most affected areas like urban areas in African countries, India and South America among other countries. (Weller, B.K and Davis, D. 2001).
Condom use is widely described as the fundamental control of sexually transmitted disease and so is the best way to prevent this epidemic. Correct and consistent use of condoms is one thing among the many encouraged by the various health bodies that tend to show that effective prevention of HIV/AIDs is only achieved by proper use of a condom. However many people in our societies have continued to ignore this message and they are putting themselves in a risk of contracting HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted disease (Carey and Lyth, 2004)
Literature review
Education
Level of education is one of the factors that influence condom usage. Research done by Weller and Davis shows that high school student is more likely to ignore condom usage as compared to graduate. The study shows that 53% of the high school students prefer to have sex without using condom compared to 32% of graduate who prefers not use condom(Weller and Davis,2009). The researchers concluded that this can be due to ignorance of high school student about the dangers of unprotected sex. Although in modern schools, every week there is a specified day in which students attend lessons to discuss on relations and health matters. During these days, they interactively tell out their ideas on condom use. Some give experiences on bad relations where they immorally indulged in sex, others make jokes on sexual organs and others just promises themselves to try out and have experiences of their own(Weller and Davis,2009). The teachers would advise them on the importance of protected sex as well as abstinence. However, some lessons on relationship, health and sexual activities are undermined by teachers who think it is better unsaid than said. Some teachers would punish those who had bad experiences on sex while others would that they are not they right people to hears sex experiences from students. Others would find it funny if students asked questions that demanded answers based on teacher’s experience while others would describe some sex related objects like condoms as dirty for use by any noble man (Bledsoe and Cohen, 1993). Educationalists should not report condoms as bad and dirty because this creates a negative attitude to the audience about condoms. It is distinct that access to condoms promotes premarital sex and youths would shamelessly indulge in sexual activity (Bledsoe and Cohen,1993).
Gender
Gender is another factor that influences condom usage, many researchers have concluded that females will most likely use condom as compared to males. It is believed that many women will engage in sex if a man is willing to use a condom. If a woman is not much compelling to a man, then she ends up engaging into sexual activities unprotected. Sexual activities in youths do not take keen note of protected sex. Neither the girls nor the boys will constrain each other to use a condom for their safety. Gender expectations vary from between periods of time, culture of different people and social-economic groups (Carey and Lyth, 2004).
A research done by Bledsoe and Cohen shows that women may prefer to use condom as a substitute to other contraceptives which have many side effects, they therefore concluded that many females prefers to use condom as compared to males(Bledsoe and Cohen,1993). Various gender ideologies interfere with sexual conducts as persons seek to perform things in different ways that seem consistent with concepts of virility and boyhood or feminism. We use a case where condoms may show advancement when ideas of virility include importance of protecting (Bledsoe and Cohen, 1993). A relationship may endure when both partners maintain an ideology that emphasizes commitment and protection. This is well shown by use of condoms.
Race
Sexual interaction between different races has led to increased usage of condoms in various parts of the world. This is well seen in the Southern America like Cuba among others. It is believed that people far away from your homeland, say a different tribe, clan or social ethical group when they interact sexually they most likely use condoms because of fear of unknown.
Report by USAID found out that many African countries urban areas have experienced rapid growth in HIV/AIDS infection in the last ten years. This is because they ignored condoms usage and viewed the generosity of free condom distribution at their premises as a way for the condom companies to make money.
As far as condoms are concerned, a large number of people in the Sub Saharan Africa, East Africa, western countries of India among others prefer not to use condoms as they believe it is primarily a western culture who experiment the first product with these people. These norms are reinforced by interplay in culture. The research therefore find out that 68% of people living in sub Saharan Africa do not use condom and only 13% of total respondents uses condoms( Bledsoe and Cohen,1993).
Economical differences have lead to low rate of condom usage. It is believed that economic differences between men to women and boys to girls of different ages may lead to wrong use of condoms. This is well shown when men in power use women, most likely young girls, to interact sexually unwillingly. Men feel that financial advancement would support them to do a wrong, may be force a woman not to use a condom so as to fully satisfy him. In opposition, the woman does not want to have the intercourse without a condom but due to fear of this powerful man, she opts to have unprotected sex. Powerful women or richer ladies may force their boys, who have lesser amounts of money to engage into sexual activities without use of condoms ( Bledsoe, C.H and Cohen, B (1993). The marginalized, vulnerable get to be more experienced and endure hardships due to lack of finance to boost their lifestyles. These people end up populating in the urban areas where they indulge in sex working. Since they learnt to endure hardships, they find unprotected sex as simple ordeal. Economy also influence livelihood in marginalized areas as health facilities, education, economic dependency, stigma and discrimination among other facilities are factors involved with economic inconsistency.
Hypothesis
Our first hypothesis is that the higher the level of education, the higher the rate of condom use. This was derived from Wellers and Davis research which conclude that higher the number of high school will prefer not to use condom as compared to graduate and university students.
Second hypothesis is that white people are more likely to use condom as compared to the black. USAID research found out that many blacks especially in sub Saharan Africa are against the use of condoms. They strongly believe that it is a western culture who experiment the first product with them.68%of people living in those countries does not use condoms.
Our last hypothesis is that females prefer to use condoms than males. Cohen and Bledosoe concluded that women prefer using condoms unlike men who want to have sex without condoms because they can get greater sexual satisfaction from that. Women may want to use condom for fear of unwanted pregnancy because some of them does not like other types of contraceptives because of its side effect.
Methods
The general social survey was conducted by national research centre for the purpose of gathering data and information about the condom usage, in order to create awareness to the selected group so as to control the spread of HIV/AIDS.
the selected survey samples was drawn from a random sample of high school, junior colleges and undergraduate students.2044 students were selected for the research but only 1756 students responded to the questions. Sampling probality technique was used for the study (Davis and Smith 2001).
Materials
Materials used involved formatted questionnaire that was submitted to the people. The questionnaire contains a series of question which will help to answer the research questions. The question used to measure dependent value was whether the respondent used condom during his last sexual intercourse. The survey also asked questions regarding to independent variables such as level of education, race and gender. On their return, the questionnaires were grouped together, reviewed and then rephrased into interviewed questions (Weller and Davis,2001).
Procedures
SPSS was used to analyze the data collected. Missing values was deleted for consistency purposes and all variables like age, gender, level of education; race was recorded to two values to produce a contingency table for analysis. The cases collected was then analyzed using frequency table and then crosstabs function was used to create contingency table followed by calculation of Chi square which will be used to test null hypothesis(Weller and Davis,2001).
Frequency table was generated to determine the result of condom usage. It explains the frequency and the percentage of those people who did not used condom during their last sexual intercourse. Out of 1756 people who responded to the question 76.2% of them did not used condom while only 23.8% used condom during their last sexual intercourse.
Examination of independent variable, gender, reveals that 50.7% of males and 49.3% of females used condom during their last sexual intercourse while 42.3% of males and 57.3% of females did not used condom.
For races 72.7% of white race, 26.2% of black and 1.1% of Chinese used condom while 87.4 % of white, 11.5% of black and 0.7% of Chinese did not used condom. Lastly For educational level 15.6% of Lt high school,49.5% of high school,6.7% of junior college and 18.5% of bachelor used condom while 12.8% of Lt high school,49.3% of high school,7.3% of junior college and 19.1% of bachelor did t used condom.
Chi square is reported in terms of significance which will help us whether we can reject or accept the null hypothesis. And any difference between the expected and observed values is thoroughly investigated to find the real cause of divergence (Weller and Davis, 2001).
Discussions
There exists a common stereotype majority of the people who are seduced into their first sexual intercourse by their partners fail to use condoms at sexual intercourse. This is believed to be so as studies have shown proven records. Girls would rather not use a condom when mating with her boyfriend in this case, because the boy would simply dump her and within days, the boy gets another girlfriend. Some girls may also lack to enforce on condom usage because the men they mate with has money, power and fame. The girls take a chance to prove her love to this man by engaging into sexual relations without using a condom. This would automatically reveal the girls trust to a man. In some cases, boys would rather not use a condom because the girlfriend is good looking and within an instance where the boy disappoints this girl, then the girl is done with the boy. The two cases have a wide range of competition. Condom use is unpopular in rapists, sadists, criminals and other sexual offenders. These people do not have patience to let the captives decide whether he or she would use a condom or not. Neither do they neither request nor get into a consensus. The targets for these wild men and women are basically not ready and are expect no harm to occur to them. This means that, the offended do not have adequate time to prepare for the forced sexual intercourse.
The perception of condom use varies from a person to another. A church leader will support abstinence. This is because he or she believes that sex, whether protected or not, is ungodly at all cost. All attitudes expressed condemn sex, condom, sexual activities and anything to do with sex while they favor abstinence as the only way to avoid risks of infection. Reacting from various coalescing pressure, abstinence is viewed as a better way for reducing HIV risk. This perception is instilled in people’s minds as derived from the ways of the church.
The second hypothesis state that white people tend to use condoms more than the black this was based on USAID report which state that people from sub-Saharan Africa views condom as western culture and they are reluctant to use it. However the research findings shows that high percentage of white did not used condom as compared to black.
The third hypothesis states that females are more likely to use condom as compared to males, however from the research findings we found out that many males used condom as compared to females. The null hypothesis is therefore rejected and from the research we can conclude that Males are most likely to use as compares to females.
Race, gender and education levels are some of the factors that influence the condom use, therefore the government and other organization that deal with prevention and control of HIV/AIDS should put a lot of emphasis on the group that have high percentage of people that does not use condoms.
This research however may not reflect the correct results due to some errors. The dependent variable was only concerned with last time the respondent had sex but not how frequently he uses condoms. Also the sample size is too small to give us the correct reflection of the all population.
The result of the survey can therefore be improved by increasing the sample size and also changing the dependent variable from only one session to include four to five session.
Carey, G.N and Lytle, C.R (2004). Implications of laboratory test of condom integrity. Chicago, Sex Trams
Weller, B.K and Davis, D (2001). Condom Effectiveness in reducing heterosexual HIV Transmission. Cochrane, Irvine Press
Bledsoe, C.H and Cohen, B (1993). Social Dynamics Fertility in Sub Saharan Africa. Washington DC, National Academy Press
Davis, J.A. and Smith, T. W. (2011) General social surveys, 1972-2010 [machine-readable data file] /Principal Investigator, James A. Davis; Director and Co-Principal Investigator, Tom W. Smith; Co-Principal Investigator, Peter V. Marsden; Sponsored by National Science Foundation. --NORC ed. -- Chicago: National Opinion Research Center [producer]; Storrs, CT: The Roper Center for Public Opinion Research, University of Connecticut [distributor].
