In the Reality Condom Study we were looking to find out if men who
have sex with men would use the receptive condom, known as the
"Reality". Condom. We were also looking to see if it was a
safe and acceptable barrier to HIV. The Reality Condom was
originally designed for women as a contraceptive, but studies have shown that men
have been using it for anal sex with other men for some time. To date there have
been very few studies of male to male use of this condom.
Some of the things we were looking for are:
- Likes and dislikes of the receptive condom compared to the insertive condom.
- Willingness to use the receptive condom compared to the insertive condom.
- If it is safe to use for anal sex, as shown by rectal inflammation.
- Common problems associated with rectal use of the receptive condom.
What did you find out?
Our preliminary findings are that condom breakage and rectal bleeding were
not significantly
different for male and Reality condoms, but slippage of the Reality
condom was common. Approximately 20% of participants reported a
preference for the Reality condoms with future partners of unknown HIV
status, but design modifications and training are needed for use of
Reality condoms with anal sex.
How can I get more information?
If you have further questions about this or any of our research
studies, feel free to contact us. You can
also click on the links below to read the abstracts of the journal
articles that were written based on data gathered during the Reality
Condom Study.
- Safety and acceptability of the
RealityTM
condom for anal sex among men who have sex with men (2003)
We are no longer enrolling for this study, but if you are interested
in participating
in
HIV prevention research, please explore our
research
page that lists studies that we are currently enrolling for.
Thank You
to all of our
Reality Condom Study
Volunteers!
