Abstract
The present study examined the beliefs and attitudes which surround condoms and their use. Qualitative data in the form of short essays were collected from 12/13 (n = 148) and 16/17 (n = 63) year olds. The results suggest that condoms are conceptualized in terms of a complex set of factual and evaluative factors such as feelings, responsibility and risk and that younger subjects hold more positive beliefs than the older subjects. The results are discussed in terms of models of preventive behaviour and the role of sex education at an early age.