Title not available in English

Abstract

The objective of this article is to identify the structural and behavioral factors associated with the use of condoms among adolescents between the ages of 16 and 24 who were sexually active 12 months prior to the data collection for the 1988 Study on Sexual Behavior and Percepções of the Brazilian Population regarding HIV/AIDS [Pesquisa do Comportamento Sexual da População Brasileira e Percepções do HIV/AIDS,1998] (Cebrap/PCN-DST/AIDS), according to ethnic group and gender. The study included 9,322 students (59% men and 41% women). The structural and behavioral variables were treated according to the Chisquared Automatic Interaction Detector model. The greatest proportion of condom users was found among single white and black people, and the smallest proportion among those with stable and casual partners, especially among young black women. The study showed that those living together in stable relationships or single people in stable or casual relationships, those with higher schooling, and those belonging to higher socioeconomic strata, especially women and blacks, are more vulnerable to unprotected sex.