But if they did, they would use them. A new study shows that contraceptive communication is vital for young adults
Jenny Kutner
There are two primary barrier methods of contraception that also protect against s*xually transmitted infections: c*ndoms, and c*ndoms. The more commonly used of the two types — male c*ndoms or, as you might know them, “just c*ndoms” — are all too often left out of s*x education wherever abstinence-only dominates the discussion, but that might not be quite so bad as what happens to their counterpart, the female c*ndom. According to a study from the University of Texas at Arlington, a poll of college students revealed that most had no idea what a female c*ndom was, let alone that it might be something they could use.
Researchers Charla Markham Shaw and Karishma Chatterjee followed up with students at a large Southwestern university after they participated in a peer-led s*x education info session, polling 55 men and 94 women between the ages of 18 and 24 about what they learned. Shaw and Chatterjee found that few of the participants had ever seen or used a female c*ndom, but that most considered the method a viable personal option for preventing STIs and unplanned pregnancies. More than half of the female participants even said they liked the design of the female c*ndom, which is commonly disparaged for seeming like a “sandwich bag” for one’s ******.
“Our aim was to learn about the characteristics of the female c*ndom that are important to young college adults and to identify how they view the device as a method of protection against s*xual diseases and unplanned pregnancy,” Chatterjee said. “The findings suggest that design, lack of side effects, protection and convenience were important to the majority of college women.”
College men focused comparatively less on the design of female c*ndoms and more on protection, which makes sense given that they aren’t the ones wearing the prophylactic. They are, however, equally important when it comes to educating young adults about the protective method, the researchers found, as young men make up a significant portion of those affected by STIs. According to the CDC, s*xually active teens and young adults account for nearly half of new s*xually transmitted infections annually in the U.S..
“Teens and young college adults encounter many s*xual health risks, so communicating meaningful and relevant information that connects with this demographic is critical,” said Markham Shaw, who is also the chair of UT Arlington’s Communications department. “Both women and men must be considered when developing messages about the female c*ndom, as partner acceptance is key in successful adoption of new s*xual health technologies.”
And, given the positive reception many of the newly informed college students expressed, female c*ndoms could finally become a popular method for containing the spread of infection, after manufacturers have spent two decades trying to hype their appeal since they were introduced to the U.S. in 1993. Maybe with the outcome of ongoing Gates Foundation-funded efforts to produce a new female c*ndom, the method will become the universal “just c*ndom” people know and love.
Jenny Kutner is an assistant editor at Salon, focusing on s*x, gender, love and feminism. Follow @JennyKutner or email jkutner@salon.com.
(Credit: Guzel Studio via Shutterstock)
Source:
http://www.salon.com/2014/07/22/college_st...
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Wednesday, July 23rd 2014 at 10:36AM
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