Patterns of condom use: Perspectives of men in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Figures & data

Table 1: Percentage of male respondents who agree with specific statements about condoms

Statement	Per cent
Condoms are effective at preventing HIV	89
Condoms are effective at preventing pregnancy	82
It is acceptable for a married couple to use a condom	43
It is acceptable for a married woman to ask her husband to use a condom	47
It is acceptable for a woman who is not married to ask her partner to use a condom	85
Number of respondents	511

Table 2: Percentage distribution of frequency of condom use with primary and non-primary partners

Frequency of condom use	Primary sexual relationship (per cent)	Non-primary sexual relationship (per cent)
Always	1,9	37,9
Occasionally	12,5	12,8
Beginning	6,3	4,3
Never	79,3	45,0
Number of respondents	248	496

Table 3: The use of condoms within the primary sexual relationship, by selected background characteristics

Background characteristics	Number	Per cent	Odds ratios and 95 per cent confidence intervals
Age (years)
Less than 35	81	21,3*	1,00
35 or more	167	10,8	0,50 (0,21–1,21)
Marital status
Married	149	11,4	1,00
Cohabiting	99	19,2	1,39 (0,53–3,59)
Place of residence
Rural	156	8,3**	1,00
Urban	92	25,0	2,77 (1,16–6,61)
Level of education
Less than secondary	87	2,3**	1,00
Secondary or more	161	21,1	9,36 (2,00–43,87)
Desire for more children with partner
Yes	122	17,2	1,00
No	84	11,9	0,50 (0,17–1,45)
Unsure	42	11,9	0,47 (0,14–1,54)
Number of living children with partner
0–1	94	16,0	1,00
2–4	129	13,2	1,29 (0,50–3,30)
5 or more	24	12,5	2,19 (0,40–12,01)
Two or more sexual partners
Yes	44	22,7	2.09 (0.79–5.50)
No	203	12,8	1.00
Number	248	14,4
Note: *Significant at 5 per cent. **Significant at 1 per cent.

Table 4: The use of condoms outside the primary sexual relationship, by selected background characteristics

Background characteristics	Number	Per cent	Odds ratios and 95 per cent confidence intervals
Age (years)
Less than 35	416	53,4*	1,00
35 or more	78	37,2	0,57 (0,32–1,00)
Marital status
Married or cohabiting	50	36,0*	1,00
Neither	445	52,4	1,15 (0,57–2,31)
Place of residence
Rural	337	46,6	1,00
Urban	159	59,7*	1,48 (0,98–2,26)
Level of education
Less than secondary	105	33,0**	1,00
Secondary or more	390	55,4	2,23 (1,37–3,65)
Desire for more children with partner
Yes	259	55,6	1,00
No	180	46,1	0,79 (0,51–1,22)
Unsure	56	42,9	0,74 (0,40–1,37)
Number of living children with partner
0	309	42,7**	1,00
1+	186	64,0	1,51 (1,68–3,74)
Two or more sexual partners
Yes	389	50,1	1,05 (0,64–1,73)
No	107	53,3	1,00
Number	496	50,7
Note: *Significant at 5 per cent. **Significant at 1 per cent.