Adolescent students in Mumbai, India: Gender differences in condom beliefs, intended use and interactions

Condom use has been recognized as a method to stall the risk of acquiring Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). In India, condom use is advocated through three famous national health programs : The National Family Welfare Program, The National STDs Control Program, and the National AIDS Control Program and condoms are distributed free of cost. Although condoms are distributed free of cost the prevailing cultural system hinders such practices among teenagers. In lieu of stringent cultural restrictions placed on females than males, there may be gender differences with respect to condom beliefs, intended use, and condom interactions. Seventeen items relating to beliefs about condom, intended use and condom interactions were considered for analysis. The results reveal that the overall intentions to use condom were high in both males and females. However, in condom interactions, significantly more adolescent females feel uncomfortable to think about condoms, carry condoms, borrow condoms, going to a drugstore to buy condoms and to buy condoms from drugstore (off the shelf) when compared to males.