Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text Freely available
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (1)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Pötsönen, R.
Right arrow Articles by Kontula, O.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by Pötsönen, R.
Right arrow Articles by Kontula, O.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Health Promotion International, Vol. 14, No. 3, 211-220, September 1999
© Oxford University Press 1999

How are attitudes towards condoms related to gender and sexual experiences among adolescents in Finland?

Riikka Pötsönen and Osmo Kontula1

Department of Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, FIN-40351 Jyväskylä, and 1 The Family Federation of Finland, The Population Research Institute, P.O. Box 849, FIN-00101 Helsinki, Finland

Address for correspondence: Riikka Pätsänen Department of Health Sciences University of Jyväskylä PO Box 35 FIN-40351 Jyväskylä Finland E-mail: potsonen{at}pallo.jyu.fi

This survey is a part of the international HBSC Study (Health Behaviour in School-aged Children). The purpose of this study was to investigate 15-year-old adolescents' condom attitudes. In 1990, data were compiled from 928 students and in 1994 from 1183 students. In 1994, 70% of boys and 55% of girls reported that they had used a condom with their partner in past intercourse. The percentage of adolescents who did not use any contraceptive method decreased from 26% to ~13% between 1990 and 1994. The attitudes of the adolescents who did not use any contraceptive method were, on average, somewhat more negative towards purchasing condoms than the attitudes of those who used condoms or pills as their contraceptive method. Adolescents were well aware that condoms prevented unwanted pregnancies and protected against sexually transmitted disease. Boys reported more frequently than girls that it was easy to use a condom and that a condom diminished sexual pleasure. Generally speaking, adolescents were still quite embarrassed to buy condoms. Adolescents who had experienced sexual intercourse reported more often than those who had not that it was easy to purchase and carry condoms. A majority of adolescents reported that it was easy for them to purchase condoms when necessary. The major change between 1990 and 1994 occurred in the attitudes of girls who had experienced sexual intercourse. In 1990, the attitudes of girls towards purchasing and carrying condoms were more negative than those of boys, but in 1994 they were similar to those of sexually experienced boys.

Key words: adolescent; attitudes; condom; Finland; gender; sexual experiences


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.