Female condom use among HIV-infected women - Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia

PURPOSE: to evaluate acceptability, adhesion and experience with the use of female condom (FC) among HIV-infected women. METHODS: prospective descriptive study with 76 HIV-infected women under care at CAISM/UNICAMP and Centro Corsini, both in Campinas. After a screening interview and agreeing to participate, the volunteers received a diary to register their intercourses and correspondent use of male condom (MC). After 30 days, they returned to a training visit when the FC was inserted in a pelvic model, also bringing their diary related to the previous cycle, considered a control cycle. A structured questionnaire was used at 30, 60 and 90 days, also with the respective diary on sexual intercourse and use of MC and FC kept for posterior data entry. c², Fisher’s exact, McNemar and Friedman tests were applied statistical analysis of paired samples. RESULTS: there was a predominance of young women, with low schooling, living with their partner. Rate of continuity was 52% after 90 days. The use of FC in half the intercourses for each time period remained stable over the 90-day interval. There was a significant reduction in unprotected intercourses (from 14 to 6%), without use of FC or MC, at the end of the period. The initial difficulties in handling the device were overcome. Serodiscordant couples had more protected intercourses than concordant couples, but the difference did not reach statistical significance. Women reporting consistent previous use of MC had more protected sex using FC. CONCLUSIONS: the offer of the female condom was able to reduce unprotected intercourses in HIV-infected women, which were highly motivated and receptive for the new method.