Condom Availability Programs in HIV Prevention
Summary
Condom Availability Programs (CAPs) constitute a cornerstone of structural HIV prevention strategies, aiming to increase access to male and female condoms across diverse settings. By embedding free or low-cost condoms within schools, community centres, health facilities and vending points, these programmes seek to reduce barriers related to cost, confidentiality and stigma. Evidence shows that well-designed CAPs can achieve high uptake among adolescents and young adults without encouraging earlier sexual debut or higher frequency of intercourse. Implementation models often combine condom provision with targeted education and counselling, peer support and linkage to HIV testing services. Globally, CAPs have been adapted to urban, rural and resource-constrained environments, with particular emphasis on marginalised populations. In many low- and middle-income regions, school-based CAPs are complemented by community distribution and mobile outreach to reach out-of-school youth. Robust monitoring frameworks track condom distribution, reported use at last sexual encounter and shifts in sexual risk behaviours. Integrating CAPs within broader sexual health promotion and gender empowerment initiatives enhances their acceptability and sustainability. As part of combination prevention, these programmes contribute to declines in condomless sex and, where epidemiological surveillance permits, to reductions in new HIV infections.
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Condom Availability Programs in HIV Prevention publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in condom availability programs in hiv prevention across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Condom Availability Program (CAP): A structured initiative to distribute condoms free or at subsidised cost in settings such as schools, clinics or community venues to reduce barriers to access.
Systematic review: A methodical synthesis of existing studies on a topic, using predefined criteria to assess and summarise evidence.
Meta-analysis: A statistical technique that combines results from multiple studies to estimate overall effect sizes and assess consistency across research.
References
- The Effects of School-Based Condom Availability Programs (CAPs) on Condom Acquisition, Use and Sexual Behavior: A Systematic Review. AIDS and Behavior (2017).
- Effectiveness of community-based condom distribution interventions to prevent HIV in the United States: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLOS ONE (2017).
- Condom non-use among adolescents: Prevalence and associated factors among school-going adolescents from 58 countries. Sexual & Reproductive Healthcare (2024).
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