Condom Use within Marital and Cohabiting Women and Its Implication for HIV Infection in Mahikeng, South Africa

Godswill N. Osuafor, North-West University, Mafikeng Campus

Three decades down the siege of HIV epidemics, the use of condom has remained low with evidence of rising HIV infection among women in steady relationships. The study examined the factors that influence condom use in marital or cohabiting unions. A cross sectional survey using a mixed method design was conducted among married and cohabiting women of reproductive age in Mahikeng, South Africa in 2012. The first strand was the quantitative data collected from 568 respondents with a structured questionnaire and the second was individual in-depth interviews with 33 women using semi structured interview guide. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive and logistic regression analyses. Qualitative information was analyzed using the content analysis. The data show that only 16% are currently using condoms. The result further revealed statistically significant association between condom use and occupation, number of living children, spousal communication, respondents perceived risk of contracting STI and procreation.