Behavioral Determinants of Condom Use in HIV Prevention
Summary
Condom use remains a cornerstone of HIV prevention, yet uptake and consistency vary widely across populations. At the individual level, knowledge about HIV transmission, perceived susceptibility, positive attitudes towards condoms and high self-efficacy have been shown to predict both the intention to use condoms and actual use. Social influences such as peer and partner norms, gender power dynamics and interpersonal communication further shape decisions around condom use. Structurally, factors including condom availability, service accessibility, economic constraints and policy environments establish enabling or inhibiting conditions. Behavioural models—such as the Health Belief Model, the Theory of Planned Behaviour and integrated change frameworks—capture how these cognitive, social and contextual elements interact to determine protective sexual behaviours. Globally, interventions that combine peer-led education, youth-friendly services and gender-transformative approaches have demonstrated tangible improvements in uptake. Practical applications include campus condom distribution schemes that leverage social prompts, community outreach that engages religious and health leaders, and multimedia campaigns designed to normalise condom negotiation. Understanding these multilevel determinants is critical for designing tailored programmes that address barriers at every stage from awareness to consistent use.
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Behavioral Determinants of Condom Use in HIV Prevention publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in behavioral determinants of condom use in hiv prevention across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Self-efficacy: Confidence in one’s own ability to obtain and correctly use condoms.
Subjective norms: Perceptions of peers’ and partners’ expectations regarding condom use.
Perceived behavioural control: Belief in the ease or difficulty of performing condom use consistently.
Multilevel determinants: The combined influence of individual, interpersonal and structural factors on behaviour.
References
- Psychosocial determinants of consistent condom use among university students in Sudan: findings from a study using the Integrated Change Model. BMC Public Health (2023).
- Adolescent condom use in Southern Africa: narrative systematic review and conceptual model of multilevel barriers and facilitators. BMC Public Health (2021).
- Factors associated with consistent condom use: a cross-sectional survey of two Nigerian universities. BMC Public Health (2019).
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