Condom use among Mexican adolescents to prevent sexually transmitted infections

Objective. To investigate the current sexual behavior and condom use during the first sexual intercourse among adolescents, as well as variations and factors influencing condom use at first sexual intercourse. Material and Methods. The data source for this study was Mexico's National Health Survey 2000. Study subjects were male and female adolescents aged 12 to 19 years (n = 16,258). Statistical analysis consisted of descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression, to assess the association of four types of factors (demographic, socioeconomic, cultural, and cognitive) with condom use during the first sexual intercourse. Results. Males and residents of urban areas reported greater sexual activity and condom use. Typically, adolescents who used condoms during the first sexual intercourse were male, older, resided in urban areas, non-speakers of an indigenous language, and with higher schooling. Conclusions. New policies should be framed to prevent sexually transmitted infections to span the gap between knowledge and practice, targeting adolescents starting sexual activity earlier, those who speak an indigenous language, living in rural areas, with less schooling, and females. The English version of this paper is available too at: http://www.insp.mx/salud/index.html.