(055) Risk-Avoidance Messaging Enhances Condom Use Intentions Among Men in German-Speaking Europe

Introduction The rate of barrier contraceptive use during partnered sexual activities is low among men, particularly during activities that do not pose a pregnancy risk. Research on men’s use of dental dams during oral stimulation of a partner’s vulva or anus is virtually nonexistent. A commonly used intervention to promote sexual and reproductive health is the dissemination of informative material. Objective This study developed and tested informative materials that emphasized either the negative outcomes avoidable through condom or dental dam use (non-loss-framed messages) or the positive outcomes achievable through their use (gain-framed messages). Pre-testing ensured that the gain-framed message was not simply a variation of a non-loss-framed message. The main objective was to examine whether non-loss-framed, gain-framed, or combined messages could increase men’s willingness to use barrier contraceptives. Methods An experimental between-subjects study was conducted with 725 cisgender men who have sex with women (MSW; M age = 30.3, SD = 8.9) from German-speaking countries in Europe. Participants received either a non-loss-framed, gain-framed, combined-framing, or neutral message promoting condom or dental dam use. Willingness to use barrier contraceptives was measured using the Sexual Delay Discounting Task, in which participants indicated their willingness to delay various sexual activities (penile-vaginal, penile-anal, fellatio, anilingus, cunnilingus) to ensure barrier availability. Hierarchical regression models were calculated with the neutral message condition as the reference group and sociodemographic characteristics (age, relationship status, nationality, education, and household income) controlled for in the first step. Results On average, participants reported a 50% likelihood (SD = 35.3) of using a condom during penile-vaginal sex, 18% (SD = 27.1) during fellatio, and 63% (SD = 36.4) during penile-anal sex. The reported likelihood of dental dam use was 42% (SD = 33.6) during anilingus and 34% (SD = 32.2) during cunnilingus. Men exposed to non-loss-framed messages were more likely to delay penile-vaginal sexual activity to ensure condom availability compared to those who received neutral messages. In contrast, gain-framing was associated with decreased willingness to delay activities to use a dental dam during anilingus. Conclusions Non-loss-framed health communication emphasizing disease prevention was most effective in increasing condom use intentions among cisgender MSW. Further research is needed to conceptualize and refine gain-framed messages. In particular, it remains unclear what specific additional benefits a barrier contraceptive must offer to be perceived as a valuable enhancement. Disclosure No