Intra- and Inter-personal Barriers to Condom Use Among College Students: A Review of the Literature

Research indicates that a large number of youth participate in risky sexual behaviors, including: having sex with multiple partners, not participating in discussions on safer sex practices, and not using condoms consistently when engaging in sexual activities. These behaviors put college students at an increased risk for human immunodeficiency virus, sexually transmitted infections, and unintended pregnancy. The purpose of this paper is to identify factors that may act as intra- and interpersonal barriers to condom use and to provide recommendations to increase condom use among college students. A review of the literature was performed which resulted in 15 articles identifying and discussing common barriers to condom use. Multiple factors were found to serve as barriers to condom use including (a) relationship dynamics; (b) perception of risk; and (c) gender roles. These barriers are summarized and recommendations are given to improve the rate of condom use among college students. © 2014, Springer Science+Business Media New York.