Attitudes towards male condom use in two different populations in Thrace, Greece

Abstract

Objective To outline Thracian women's disposition and attitude towards the male condom.Methods Representatives of the two major religious subgroups in Thrace (127 Christian Orthodox and 120 Muslim women) were studied. All respondents were of reproductive age (from 17 to 39 years) and were encouraged to answer a specific questionnaire. Women expressed their opinions about their mood while using it, its safety and similarity to natural contraception, and its contribution to the prevention of carcinogenesis and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). They were also questioned about the ease of accessibility to supplies, the convenience experienced in buying it, its cost, and whether they thought it was necessary to use one in every act of intercourse as a contraceptive method. The statistical software package used was the Sigma Stat 2.0.Results The majority of the respondents in both subgroups had a positive opinion about the condom's contribution to the prevention of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and STDs. Christians were better informed about the condom's contribution to the prevention of carcinogenesis, while the majority of Muslims did not feel convinced about the condom's contraceptive efficacy.Conclusions The study results reveal a significant difference in the way that Christian and Muslim women in Thrace consider the impact of condom use on sexual behavior and reproductive health care.