The UCLA Multidimensional Condom Attitudes Scale: Documenting the Complex Determinants of Condom Use in College Students

This article describes the development and validation of the UCLA Multidimensional Condom Attitudes Scale (MCAS). The relationships between the MCAS and gender, sexual experience, intentions to use a condom, and past condom use were assessed. The MCAS has five distinct factors: (a) Reliability and Effectiveness of condoms, (b) the sexual Pleasure associated with condom use, (c) the stigma attached to persons who use condoms (Identity Stigma), (d) the Embarrassment About Negotiation and Use of condoms, and (e) the Embarrassment About the Purchase of condoms. The results strongly suggest that condom attitudes are multidimensional and thus cannot meaningfully be summed to a single global score. Results further indicate that men and women hold very different attitudes toward condoms. Implications of scale multidimensionality and directions for future research are discussed.