Abstract

KALCKMANN, Suzana. Female condom and double protection: challenges for specialized services for STDs and AIDS. Temas psicol. [online]. 2013, vol.21, n.3, pp. 1145-1157. ISSN 1413-389X.  http://dx.doi.org/10.9788/TP2013.3-EE18PT.

The article discusses the use of the female condom by 713 clients of seven service centers specialized in STDs/AIDS in Greater São Paulo, which were part of a longitudinal study about the continuity of its use. The highest level of discontinuity occurred in the first month: of the initial sample, 335 (47.0%) women were lost to follow up. After 12 months of observation, 23 (3.37%) women reported continuous use of the female condom. Among those who were retained in the study, the mean use of the female condom was 4.6 months and the median was 3.4 months. The analysis of time of use of the female condom conducted using the Kaplan Meier Method showed a statistically significant association with HIV serostatus (p=.02). Women who were HIV positive adhered for a longer period of time to this method of prevention than HIV negative women in sexual relationships with men living with HIV. The decision of the sexual partner was a deciding factor for the interruption and for the maintenance of female condom use, indicating that the dyadic dynamic and intersubjectivity in the context of gendered relations, and not merely the knowledge of the method by the woman, should be the focus of promoting the female condom. Many women began to use the female condom and interrupted its use were seropositive and partners of seropositive partners and intended to begin using it again. Health services should broaden their scope in relation to the female condom, as well as rethink their engagement with the seronegative women and men.

Keywords : Female condom; female condom: women with HIV/AIDS; AIDS.

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