CONDOM AWARENESS AND USE IN THE ARUSHA AND KILIMANJARO REGIONS, TANZANIA - A POPULATION-BASED STUDY

A cross-sectional study of condom awareness, perceived availability, and use was conducted using a questionnaire in the Arusha and Kilimanjaro regions in northern Tanzania. The questionnaire was administered to a random sample (n = 1,081) of males and females (15-54 years of age) from four localities in the Arusha, Babati, Moshi, and Same districts. Of the 1,081 respondents, 69.9% knew what condoms are and, of these, 31.7% reported having ever used a condom, while 20.7% stated that they used condoms regularly. Furthermore, of the 756 respondents who knew what condoms are, 62.2% stated that condoms were available in their localities and, of these, 44.1% reported having used condoms regularly. The results suggested that, while the majority of the respondents knew about condoms and stated that condoms were available in their localities, reported regular condom use was low. Age, gender, marital status, occupation, and place of residence appeared to be significant determinants of condom awareness and use, while educational status was not. Although barmaids and professional drivers have been shown to practice high-risk sexual behavior, reported condom use among them was low.