Abstract
Before condoms can be considered as a prophylaxis for sexually transmitted human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), their efficacy must be considered. This paper reviews evidence on condom effectiveness in reducing the risk of heterosexually transmitted human HIV. A meta-analysis conducted on data from in vivo studies of HIV discordant sexual partners is used to estimate the protective effect of condoms. Although contraceptive research indicates that condoms are 87% effective in preventing pregnancy, results of HIV transmission studies indicate that condoms may reduce risk of HIV infection by approximately 69%. Thus, efficacy may be much lower than commonly assumed, although results should be viewed tentatively due to design limitations in the original studies.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 1635-1644 |
Number of pages | 10 |
Journal | Social Science and Medicine |
Volume | 36 |
Issue number | 12 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jun 1993 |
Keywords
- condoms
- HIV prevention
- meta-analysis
- sexual behavior
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Economics and Econometrics
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
- Social Psychology
- Development
- Health(social science)