Condom migration resulting from circumcision, microbicides and vaccines: brief review and methodological considerations

Abstract

Objective: To provide an updated review of condom migration as a means of highlighting methodological issues for future studies of this behavioural issue.

Methods: Electronic searches of PubMed, MEDLINE and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) databases were carried out in October 2010 and updated in January 2011 for English-language articles published from 1994 onward.

Results: Evidence addressing condom migration from microbicides and vaccines is vastly underdeveloped, simply because these products are still experimental. In contrast, the more advanced evidence regarding male circumcision is hopeful because it suggests that migration may not be an overwhelming issue. Nonetheless, the entire body of empirical evidence on this question could be substantially expanded and improved.

Conclusion: Until stronger evidence suggests that condom migration is unlikely, it is important to be mindful of the potential for condom migration to occur in response to biomedical interventions (circumcision, microbicides and vaccines).