Consistent condom use is one effective way to reduce HIV transmission. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, African Americans still have the highest HIV infection rates in the United States.  Given this, public health officials have made it a priority to increase condom use among this group. Unfortunately, condom use rates are still too low. 

 

For example, the National Institutes of Health studied 736 people who reported having sex in the past two months in Dallas and Houston.  The NIH found that only 31.4% of African Americans in inner cities used condoms consistently with their steady partners and 29.5% used condoms consistently with casual partners. They also reported that married African Americans with a sexual transmitted disease (STD) history were less likely to use condoms with their spouse. Older African Americans and those visiting a doctor regularly were more likely to consistently use condoms with casual partners.