Personal factors influencing female students’ condom use at a higher education institution

African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine

 
 
Field Value
 
Title Personal factors influencing female students’ condom use at a higher education institution
 
Creator McCarthy, Danelia M. Felix, Rehanna T. Crowley, Talitha
 
Subject primary health care; sexual reproductive health; education condom utilisation; higher education institution; female students; personal factors; self-efficacy
Description Background: South African female students’ consistent condom use is low, possibly due to personal factors, such as knowledge about sexual reproductive health, attitudes towards safe sex, risk perceptions and condom use, self-efficacy.Aim: This study aimed to investigate the personal factors that influence condom utilisation among female students.Setting: This study was conducted at a higher education institution in the Northern Cape province in South Africa.Methods: A quantitative, descriptive survey design was used. Three hundred and eighty five participants were selected using convenience sampling. The research instrument was a self-administered questionnaire, and the data were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, version 28.Results: Almost two-thirds (250, 64.9%) of participants used condoms to prevent pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Although attitudes towards safe sex were generally positive, low risk perceptions were reported. Consistent use of condoms was found in 32.2% (124) of participants, while 45.3% (174) participants used condoms inconsistently or never. A significant finding was that consistent use increased the likelihood of negotiating for a condom with partners by 9.14 times and confidence in putting one on for a partner by 8.05 times.Conclusion: The findings depict average levels of the use of condoms among female students. Prevention efforts should concentrate on educating female students to strengthen condom use and self-efficacy.Contribution: This study, supporting existing literature, suggests that preventative efforts should focus on educating young women about condom use, self-efficacy and encouraging STI conversations with sexual partners.
 
Publisher AOSIS
 
Contributor
Date 2024-02-19
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion — quantitative, exploratory-descriptive research design
Format text/html application/epub+zip text/xml application/pdf
Identifier 10.4102/phcfm.v16i1.4337
 
Source African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine; Vol 16, No 1 (2024); 7 pages 2071-2936 2071-2928
 
Language eng
 
Relation
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:

https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/4337/6831 https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/4337/6832 https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/4337/6833 https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/4337/6834
 
Coverage Africa; South Africa; Northern Cape; Frances Baardt region; Sol Plaatje District, Kimberley 2021 - 2022 17 - 24 years, female, students
Rights Copyright (c) 2024 Danelia McCarthy, Rehanna T. Felix, Talitha Crowley https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
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