This procurement will produce a multiple arm observational study of women using various barrier contraceptive regimens for the prevention of the following sexually transmitted diseases (STDs): gonorrhoea and chlamydia. This study will determine the maximum possible protection against sexually transmitted diseases provided by consistent and correct use of barrier contraceptives. Secondary endpoints of interest will be the occurrence of other sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy as detected during the study. The study design will include an educational and motivational component in order to assure an adequate number of participants with continued high levels of barrier use. Because of the personal nature of the decision to use a barrier method, the educational and motivational intervention will be aimed at all study participants, and subjects will choose which method (or no method) they will use during the follow-up period. A typical control group will not exist, the controls being intervention recruits who choose not to use a barrier method during the study. The study will determine: (1) the maximum extent to which various barrier contraceptive methods, used individually or in combination, can protect women from infection with Neisseria gonorrhoea and Chlamydia trachomatis; (2) evidence for the prevention of other STDs and pregnancy by consistent and proper barrier contraceptive use during the course of the study; (3) the correlates of failure (i.e. nonuse, improper use, condom breakage or slippage, other method failure); (4) local toxicity attributable to use of chemical or physical barrier contraceptive methods.
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