Spanish Translation, Adaptation, and Validation of the Multidimensional Condom Attitudes Scale with Young Colombian Men and Women.

Infection by HIV/AIDS or other STIs and unplanned pregnancies are sexual health problems of considerable impact around the world. Condoms are the only method that prevents all those risks, and attitudes toward the use of condoms are among the best predictors of their consistent use. The purpose of the present study was to translate, adapt, and validate a Spanish-language version of the Multidimensional Condom Attitudes Scale (MCAS) using a sample of young people from Colombia. A total of 1441 young people between the ages of 18 and 26 years responded to a web-based survey conducted between January 2018 and February 2018. The dimensionality of the scale was explored and confirmed to replicate the original five-factor structure (alphas ranged from .65 to .86). Criterion validity was adequate. Women had more positive attitudes toward identity stigma associated with condom use, while men had more positive attitudes toward reliability and effectiveness of condoms and were less embarrassed with condom negotiation and use. The Spanish-language MCAS is suitable for measuring condom-related attitudes among Colombian youth. Future research is needed to validate the Spanish version of the MCAS with other Spanish-speaking populations.

Val/Leu247 and Trp/Ser316 polymorphisms in beta 2 glycoprotein I and their association with thrombosis in unselected Chilean patients.

It is known that polymorphisms of beta (2)-glycoprotein I (beta (2)GPI) in exon 7 affect interaction between the phospholipid binding site and the antibodies, and that other polymorphisms in exon 8 increase the generation of antibodies. In this study, we analyzed genetic polymorphisms of beta (2)GPI in unselected Chilean patients to determine the prevalence of beta (2)GPI polymorphisms in the phospholipid domain in patients with venous and arterial thrombosis and the clinical correlation with thromboembolic complications. This study comprised 149 patients with venous and arterial thrombosis (62 with venous thrombosis and 87 with arterial thrombosis) and 160 healthy controls with no previous history of thrombosis. Polymorphisms of exons 7 and 8 of beta (2)GPI, which encode for its fifth domain, were determined by PCR-RFLP. The presence of aPL or anti-beta (2)GPI in the patients was detected by ELISA. Anti-beta (2)GPI were present in 8/149 patients (5.4%); of these, five had aCL antibodies of low titer. The allele containing Val/Leu(247) and Trp/Ser(316) was significantly more frequent in patients with thrombosis than in the control group (OR=3.1, CI 1.6-6.0, p=0.0003; OR=2.9, CI 1.1-8.6, p=0.027, respectively). These polymorphisms did not correlate with aPL or anti-beta (2)GPI but significant differences were observed with venous thrombosis (p=<0.0001) and arterial thrombosis (p=0.026). In conclusion, the beta (2)GPI polymorphisms Val/Leu(247) and Trp/Ser(316) are not related to the presence of anti-beta (2)GPI antibodies in unselected Chilean patients with venous and arterial thrombosis, but they are significantly associated with venous and arterial thrombosis.