Although condom fatigue is often cited as a reason for inconsistent condom use, it is not necessarily expressed as a complete disavowal of condoms. Many gay men continue to use them despite their fatigue. Rather, condom fatigue acts in combination with other factors of inconsistent condom use, such as the perception of lower sexual satisfaction when using a condom or thinking one is not at risk of STIs.
Condom fatigue is especially prevalent in long-term couples who may believe that since they know their partner well they no longer need to worry about AIDS. This fatigue can be exacerbated by the desire to feel closer to one's partner during sex.
HIV infection is increasing at a rate of 12% annually among 13–24-year-old American men who have sex with men. Experts attribute this to "AIDS fatigue" among younger people who have no memory of the worst phase of the epidemic in the 1980s and early 1990s, as well as "condom fatigue" among those who have grown tired of and disillusioned with the unrelenting safer sex message. The increase may also be because of new treatments.
Peterson, John L.; Bakeman, Roger; John H. Blackshear, Jr.; Stokes, Joseph P. (2003). "Perceptions of Condom Use among African American Men Who Have Sex with Men". Culture, Health & Sexuality. 5 (5): 409–424. doi:10.1080/1369105011000041160. ISSN 1369-1058. JSTOR 4005346. S2CID 144153126. https://www.jstor.org/stable/4005346
Corbett, A. Michelle; Dickson-Gómez, Julia; Hilario, Helena; Weeks, Margaret R. (2009-12-03). "A Little Thing Called Love: Condom Use in High-Risk Primary Heterosexual Relationships". Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health. 41 (4): 218–224. doi:10.1363/4121809. PMC 2896263. PMID 20444176. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2896263
Corbett, A. Michelle; Dickson-Gómez, Julia; Hilario, Helena; Weeks, Margaret R. (2009-12-03). "A Little Thing Called Love: Condom Use in High-Risk Primary Heterosexual Relationships". Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health. 41 (4): 218–224. doi:10.1363/4121809. PMC 2896263. PMID 20444176. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2896263
Sacco, William P.; Levine, Brian; Reed, David L.; Thompson, Karla (June 1991). "Attitudes About Condom Use as an AIDS-Relevant Behavior: Their Factor Structure and Relation to Condom Use". Psychological Assessment. 3 (2): 265–272. doi:10.1037/1040-3590.3.2.265 – via ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/232490109
Hebling, Eliana Maria; Guimarães, Isaura Rocha Figueiredo (October 2004). "Women and AIDS: gender relations and condom use with steady partners". Cadernos de Saúde Pública. 20 (5): 1211–1218. doi:10.1590/S0102-311X2004000500014. ISSN 0102-311X. PMID 15486663. https://doi.org/10.1590%2FS0102-311X2004000500014
Ajayi, Anthony Idowu; Ismail, Kafayat Olanike; Akpan, Wilson (December 2019). "Factors associated with consistent condom use: a cross-sectional survey of two Nigerian universities". BMC Public Health. 19 (1): 1207. doi:10.1186/s12889-019-7543-1. ISSN 1471-2458. PMC 6719351. PMID 31477068. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6719351
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Peterson, John L.; Bakeman, Roger; John H. Blackshear, Jr.; Stokes, Joseph P. (2003). "Perceptions of Condom Use among African American Men Who Have Sex with Men". Culture, Health & Sexuality. 5 (5): 409–424. doi:10.1080/1369105011000041160. ISSN 1369-1058. JSTOR 4005346. S2CID 144153126. https://www.jstor.org/stable/4005346
Ajayi, Anthony Idowu; Ismail, Kafayat Olanike; Akpan, Wilson (December 2019). "Factors associated with consistent condom use: a cross-sectional survey of two Nigerian universities". BMC Public Health. 19 (1): 1207. doi:10.1186/s12889-019-7543-1. ISSN 1471-2458. PMC 6719351. PMID 31477068. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6719351
Corbett, A. Michelle; Dickson-Gómez, Julia; Hilario, Helena; Weeks, Margaret R. (2009-12-03). "A Little Thing Called Love: Condom Use in High-Risk Primary Heterosexual Relationships". Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health. 41 (4): 218–224. doi:10.1363/4121809. PMC 2896263. PMID 20444176. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2896263
Klassen, Benjamin J.; Fulcher, Karyn; Chown, Sarah A.; Armstrong, Heather L.; Hogg, Robert S.; Moore, David M.; Roth, Eric A.; Lachowsky, Nathan J. (2019-01-28). ""Condoms are … like public transit. It's something you want everyone else to take": Perceptions and use of condoms among HIV negative gay men in Vancouver, Canada in the era of biomedical and seroadaptive prevention". BMC Public Health. 19 (1): 120. doi:10.1186/s12889-019-6452-7. ISSN 1471-2458. PMC 6350294. PMID 30691426. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6350294
Klassen, Benjamin J.; Fulcher, Karyn; Chown, Sarah A.; Armstrong, Heather L.; Hogg, Robert S.; Moore, David M.; Roth, Eric A.; Lachowsky, Nathan J. (2019-01-28). ""Condoms are … like public transit. It's something you want everyone else to take": Perceptions and use of condoms among HIV negative gay men in Vancouver, Canada in the era of biomedical and seroadaptive prevention". BMC Public Health. 19 (1): 120. doi:10.1186/s12889-019-6452-7. ISSN 1471-2458. PMC 6350294. PMID 30691426. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6350294
Klassen, Benjamin J.; Fulcher, Karyn; Chown, Sarah A.; Armstrong, Heather L.; Hogg, Robert S.; Moore, David M.; Roth, Eric A.; Lachowsky, Nathan J. (2019-01-28). ""Condoms are … like public transit. It's something you want everyone else to take": Perceptions and use of condoms among HIV negative gay men in Vancouver, Canada in the era of biomedical and seroadaptive prevention". BMC Public Health. 19 (1): 120. doi:10.1186/s12889-019-6452-7. ISSN 1471-2458. PMC 6350294. PMID 30691426. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6350294
Peterson, John L.; Bakeman, Roger; John H. Blackshear, Jr.; Stokes, Joseph P. (2003). "Perceptions of Condom Use among African American Men Who Have Sex with Men". Culture, Health & Sexuality. 5 (5): 409–424. doi:10.1080/1369105011000041160. ISSN 1369-1058. JSTOR 4005346. S2CID 144153126. https://www.jstor.org/stable/4005346
Ajayi, Anthony Idowu; Ismail, Kafayat Olanike; Akpan, Wilson (December 2019). "Factors associated with consistent condom use: a cross-sectional survey of two Nigerian universities". BMC Public Health. 19 (1): 1207. doi:10.1186/s12889-019-7543-1. ISSN 1471-2458. PMC 6719351. PMID 31477068. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6719351
Klassen, Benjamin J.; Fulcher, Karyn; Chown, Sarah A.; Armstrong, Heather L.; Hogg, Robert S.; Moore, David M.; Roth, Eric A.; Lachowsky, Nathan J. (2019-01-28). ""Condoms are … like public transit. It's something you want everyone else to take": Perceptions and use of condoms among HIV negative gay men in Vancouver, Canada in the era of biomedical and seroadaptive prevention". BMC Public Health. 19 (1): 120. doi:10.1186/s12889-019-6452-7. ISSN 1471-2458. PMC 6350294. PMID 30691426. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6350294
Ajayi, Anthony Idowu; Ismail, Kafayat Olanike; Akpan, Wilson (December 2019). "Factors associated with consistent condom use: a cross-sectional survey of two Nigerian universities". BMC Public Health. 19 (1): 1207. doi:10.1186/s12889-019-7543-1. ISSN 1471-2458. PMC 6719351. PMID 31477068. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6719351
Peterson, John L.; Bakeman, Roger; John H. Blackshear, Jr.; Stokes, Joseph P. (2003). "Perceptions of Condom Use among African American Men Who Have Sex with Men". Culture, Health & Sexuality. 5 (5): 409–424. doi:10.1080/1369105011000041160. ISSN 1369-1058. JSTOR 4005346. S2CID 144153126. https://www.jstor.org/stable/4005346
Corbett, A. Michelle; Dickson-Gómez, Julia; Hilario, Helena; Weeks, Margaret R. (2009-12-03). "A Little Thing Called Love: Condom Use in High-Risk Primary Heterosexual Relationships". Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health. 41 (4): 218–224. doi:10.1363/4121809. PMC 2896263. PMID 20444176. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2896263
Hebling, Eliana Maria; Guimarães, Isaura Rocha Figueiredo (October 2004). "Women and AIDS: gender relations and condom use with steady partners". Cadernos de Saúde Pública. 20 (5): 1211–1218. doi:10.1590/S0102-311X2004000500014. ISSN 0102-311X. PMID 15486663. https://doi.org/10.1590%2FS0102-311X2004000500014
Sacco, William P.; Levine, Brian; Reed, David L.; Thompson, Karla (June 1991). "Attitudes About Condom Use as an AIDS-Relevant Behavior: Their Factor Structure and Relation to Condom Use". Psychological Assessment. 3 (2): 265–272. doi:10.1037/1040-3590.3.2.265 – via ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/232490109
Sacco, William P.; Levine, Brian; Reed, David L.; Thompson, Karla (June 1991). "Attitudes About Condom Use as an AIDS-Relevant Behavior: Their Factor Structure and Relation to Condom Use". Psychological Assessment. 3 (2): 265–272. doi:10.1037/1040-3590.3.2.265 – via ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/232490109
Hebling, Eliana Maria; Guimarães, Isaura Rocha Figueiredo (October 2004). "Women and AIDS: gender relations and condom use with steady partners". Cadernos de Saúde Pública. 20 (5): 1211–1218. doi:10.1590/S0102-311X2004000500014. ISSN 0102-311X. PMID 15486663. https://doi.org/10.1590%2FS0102-311X2004000500014
Sacco, William P.; Levine, Brian; Reed, David L.; Thompson, Karla (June 1991). "Attitudes About Condom Use as an AIDS-Relevant Behavior: Their Factor Structure and Relation to Condom Use". Psychological Assessment. 3 (2): 265–272. doi:10.1037/1040-3590.3.2.265 – via ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/232490109
Corbett, A. Michelle; Dickson-Gómez, Julia; Hilario, Helena; Weeks, Margaret R. (2009-12-03). "A Little Thing Called Love: Condom Use in High-Risk Primary Heterosexual Relationships". Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health. 41 (4): 218–224. doi:10.1363/4121809. PMC 2896263. PMID 20444176. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2896263
Corbett, A. Michelle; Dickson-Gómez, Julia; Hilario, Helena; Weeks, Margaret R. (2009-12-03). "A Little Thing Called Love: Condom Use in High-Risk Primary Heterosexual Relationships". Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health. 41 (4): 218–224. doi:10.1363/4121809. PMC 2896263. PMID 20444176. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2896263
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Paddock, Catharine (June 27, 2008). "HIV Rising Among Young Gay Men In The US". Medical News Today. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/112998.php