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Acceptability and Use of the Female Condom and Diaphragm among Sex Workers in Dominican Republic: Results from a Prospective Study

2009; Guilford Press; Volume: 21; Issue: 6 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1521/aeap.2009.21.6.538

1943-2755

Diana Lara, Daniel Grossman, Jhoanne E. Muñoz, Santo Rosario, Bayardo Gómez, Sandra G. García,

HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions

To assess the acceptability and use of the female condom and diaphragm among female sex workers in the Dominican Republic, 243 participants were followed for 5 months. Participants received female and male condoms and a diaphragm along with proper counseling at monthly visits. Seventy-six percent reported used of female condom at least once during the final month of the study, compared with 50% that used the diaphragm with male condoms and 9% that used the diaphragm alone. The proportion of women reporting every sex act protected with some barrier method increased from 66% at first month to 77% at final month (p < 0.05). Participants reported higher acceptability and use of the female condom than the diaphragm. The introduction of female-controlled barrier methods resulted in the use of a wide range of prevention methods and a significant reduction in unprotected sex.