International Journal of STD & AIDS > Volume 19, Number 9 > Pp. 590-594

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Original research articles

Condom ‘turn offs’ among adults: an exploratory study

Richard Crosby PhD ^*   , Robin Milhausen PhD  , William L Yarber HSD   ^**, Stephanie A Sanders PhD   and Cynthia A Graham PhD  

^* College of Public Health, University of Kentucky, 121 Washington Avenue, Lexington, KY, USA; Rural Center for AIDS/STD Prevention, Indiana University; The Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction; Department of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition, University of Guelph; ^** Department of Applied Health Science; Department of Gender Studies, Indiana University; University of Oxford

Correspondence to: Dr Richard Crosby Email: crosby{at}uky.edu

An exploratory study compared the prevalence of multiple types of condom-associated ‘turn offs’ in men and women. Nearly 2000 people completed a web-based questionnaire. Data were analysed from 464 men and women who reported that condoms had turned them off the last time they were used. Gender differences were not observed for the majority (9) of 15 turn offs. The most common turn offs related to loss of pleasure. For example, more than three-quarters of the men and nearly 40% of the women reported decreased sexual sensation (P = 0.0001). Putting on condoms was reported by 43.2% of the men versus 30.2% of the women (P = 0.02). Smell was a relatively frequent turn off, with about one-third indicating this issue and no significant gender difference (P = 0.32). Turn offs pertaining to arousal and orgasm were also common. Findings suggest that numerous physical and psychological condom turn offs may be experienced by men and women while using male condoms. Although some turn offs differed as a function of gender, there was remarkable similarity between men and women.

Key Words: condoms • men • women • sexually transmitted infections • sexual behaviour

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