ABSTRACT
Background: The female condom remains the only female-initiated means of preventing both pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV. Unfortunately uptake in the West and in some developing countries has been low thus precluding the realization of the dual benefits of this device. Aim: The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of the use of the female condom and factors associated with its use among female students in a tertiary institution of learning in Enugu, Nigeria. Methods: This was a questionnaire based non comparative study. Sampling was by multi-stage technique. Data was collected using a semi-structured self administered questionnaire. Data was analyzed using SSPS statistical software version 17.0 for windows [Chicago IL, USA]. Bivariate analysis was done to determine the association of socio-demographic variables with awareness and use of female condoms using Pearson Chi-square test. P-value <0.05 was considered significant. Results: A total of 313 female undergraduates were studied. Their mean age was 23.9 years ± 4.1 SD. About 76.7% had knowledge of female condoms. Fifty (15.9%) used the female condom since admission to tertiary institution principally to prevent unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. Among those that used the female condom the potential dropout rate was 58%, mainly because it was costly and not readily available. The feature of female initiation and control of the device was the principal reason or intention to continue to use the female condom. The sociodemographic characteristics that were significantly associated with the use of the female condom included marital status (χ2=7.79, p=0.01), religion (χ2-5.67, p-0.02), course of study (χ2=14.26, p=0.00) and previous sexual exposure prior to university admission (χ2=3.48, p=0.00). Conclusion: There was a low use rate for the female condom despite a high level of awareness and this could be due to non-availability and cost. It is recommended that donor agencies, governmental and non-governmental organizations pool their efforts together to make female condoms more available and affordable.