Barriers to Condom Use in Urban Cameroon: Results from a Qualitative and Quantitative Study in Yaounde and Douala

Rachelle Djangone, Santé Familiale et prévention du SIDA (SFPS)
Eliwo M. Akoto, Institut De Formation Et De Recherche Demographiques (IFORD)

This papers documents reasons for and barriers to condom use in urban Cameroon (Yaounde and Douala), using qualitative and quantitative data on people’s attitudes and perceptions about condoms and their personal experience with condoms. More specifically, we identify the most common types of barriers to condom use among sexually active men and women aged 15-39, and examine the associated differentials by age, gender, educational attainment. Reasons for non-use of a condom at last sex are analyzed by looking at respondents’ own experience by type of partners at last sexual intercourse. Preliminary results indicate that 31% of sexually active men and women surveyed felt they would be embarrassed to buy condom at a point of sale located in their neighborhood or in the presence of someone within their circle of acquaintances. Logistic regression results show, however, that this attitude toward condom procurement is less likely to hinder effective use of condoms.