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The results of a study in a series of condom error studies conducted by researchers at Indiana University and The Kinsey Institute suggest that erection loss while using condoms may contribute to risky sexual behavior.

The study involved 278 men ages 18 to 35 who visited an urban STD clinic in the Midwest between October 2004 and September 2005. Men who reported an erection loss associated with condom use reported more unprotected intercourse with women and were less likely to use condoms than men without condom-associated erection loss. Also, men were almost three times more likely to report erection loss if they were less confident about how to use condoms correctly, signaling the need for education on condom application.

"This study has highlighted a difficulty -- loss of erection while using condoms -- that may make men more reluctant to use condoms. The findings have important implications for education and counseling efforts," said Cynthia Graham, a research tutor on the Oxford Doctoral Course in Clinical Psychology and an associate research fellow at the Kinsey Institute.

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Ongoing Studies on Condom Use Errors and Problems >>