Gender-related psychosocial and cultural factors associated with condom use among Chinese married women

Abstract

The present study explored the interplay of psychosocial, gender, and cultural factors on Chinese married women's condom use. A total of 433 Chinese married women residing in Hong Kong participated in the study. Correlation results showed that participants' conservative gender attitudes toward sexuality and sexual decision making were related to less accurate HIV/AIDS knowledge and less concern about contacting the disease from their husbands. About 34.4% of the sexually active participants never used condoms in the past 6 months, and current condom use was associated with egalitarian gender attitudes, positive feelings about condom use, and concerns about contacting HIV/AIDS from their husbands. Among all participants, 32.5% reported that they would not use condoms in their future sexual encounters. Future condom use was related to shorter duration of marriage, accurate HIV/AIDS knowledge, egalitarian gender attitudes, current condom use, and positive feelings about condom use. Results from the logistic regression analyses showed that egalitarian gender attitudes toward sexuality and positive feelings about condom use were the most salient predictors for current and future condom use.