Social norms for condom use: implications for HIV prevention interventions of a KABP survey with heterosexuals in the Eastern Caribbean.

A knowledge, attitude, belief, and practices survey was given to a sample of 591 residents of St. Lucia in the fall of 1990. The survey posed a host of questions relating to whether respondents were inclined to use condoms when having sex. Respondents were sexually experienced, aged 15-60 years, and interviewed in their homes. Questions were posed and viewed as possible indicators of AIDS knowledge, cues to action, perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived locus of control, normative pressure, and condom use outcome expectancies. Statistical analysis suggests that each variable is related to condom use. Analysis also indicates that perceived normative pressure to use condoms was by far the single most important determinant of condom use among the sample. The author closes by discussing the implications of these findings for designing mass media campaigns to increase condom use and strongly recommends a normative campaign.