Expectations of Condom Use. All male respondents conveyed the belief that people living with HIV are supposed to use condoms regularly, or during every sex act. Most men thought that condoms are good for people living with HIV because they put the user in the driver’s seat to control viral load, sexually transmitted infections, and pregnancy. When asked, nearly all male respondents expressed the opinion that condoms are the best contraceptive method for people living with HIV. One respondent disagreed and asserted that abstinence is the best method. All men viewed regular condom use as a consequence of the HIV epidemic and talked about it as a chronic, life-long personal health practice in response to an HIV diagnosis. You are supposed to take drugs the rest of your life, as with condoms - you are supposed to use them the rest of your life. -Male MPC FGD 2 Men cited ART clinic patient educators, who promoted condoms as the gold standard contraceptive method for people living with HIV, as the source of this idea. The radio was also credited with perpetuating this message. Most male respondents mentioned the belief that couples with at least one HIV-positive partner are not supposed to get pregnant. Most men indicated that HIV-positive pregnancies are problematic due to the toll they take on the mother’s immune system as well as the risk they carry for the baby. However, one male participant thought that an exception to the rule should be made for HIV-positive couples with fewer children, but that they should start using condoms after achieving their desired number of children. Most male respondents said that once pregnant, couples should use condoms to protect against transmitting HIV to the baby. Again, when the woman is pregnant, you are not supposed to have unprotected sex; you need to use condoms to avoid transmitting your HIV to the baby. -Male MPC FGD 4 Most female respondents talked about using condoms regularly during an HIV-positive pregnancy as an absolute, and several described their own experiences doing so. Female respondents were more vocal than male respondents about how society’s expectations of condom use for all people seemed to vary by relationship type. Several women discussed the belief that unmarried couples are expected to engage in protected sex, while married couples living without HIV are expected to engage in unprotected sex. Most female participants thought that men expected couples to adhere to society’s standards of condom use (e.g., unprotected sex in ma...
Expectations of Condom Use. Condom use is a chronic, life-long personal health practice in response to an HIV diagnosis HIV-positive (discordant or concordant) couples without any children should be able to have at least one child PLWHIV are supposed to use condoms during every sex act Condoms are the best contraceptive method for PLWHIV Married couples are expected to engage in unprotected sex Couples with at least one HIV-positive partner are not supposed to get pregnant If they do get pregnant, couples with at least one HIV-positive partner should use condoms throughout the pregnancy to prevent spreading HIV to the baby Men expect married couples with at least one HIV-positive partner to adhere to society’s expectations of condom use, rather than the medical community’s expectations of condom use (regardless of HIV status) Each new marriage is supposed to produce children (e.g., demands unprotected sex) Condoms are an absolute during HIV- positive pregnancies Society’s expectations of condom use vary by relationship type
