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Condom Barriers Scale (CBS)

The Condom Barriers Scale (CBS) is a 29-item measure that captures women's perceived barriers to condom use for prevention of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. Items cover 4 subscales: access/availability, partner barriers, effect on sexual experience and motivational barriers.

Categories

Geographies Tested: United States of America

Populations Included: Female

Age Range: Adults

Items:

AccessAvailability
1. I don't have transportation to buy or get condoms.
2. It's up to the man to provide a condom.
3. Condoms cost too much.
4. Condoms are against my religious values.
5. I would be embarrassed to buy condoms or ask for them.
6. I wouldn't know where to get a condom.
7. I would be afraid to ask my partner to use a condom.
8. I can never find a condom right before sexual intercourse.

Partner Barriers
9. If I suggested my partner use a condom he would think I don't trust him.
10. If I asked my partner to use a condom he might get angry.
11. If I suggested my partner use a condom he might think I'm putting him down or insulting him.
12. If I suggested my partner use a condom he might be turned off or lose his erectionhard on.
13. If I suggested my partner use a condom he would think I'm accusing him of cheating.
14. My partner won't use a condom.
15. If I suggested my partner use a condom he might end the relationship.
16. If I asked my partner to use a condom he might think I'm cheating on him.

Effect on sexual experience
17. Condoms feel unnatural.
18. Condoms interrupt the mood.
19. Condoms don't feel good.
20. Condoms change the climax or orgasm.
21. Condoms rub and cause irritation.
22. Condoms don't fit right.
23. I feel closer to my partner without a condom.

Motivational barriers
24. I usually forget about using condom.
25. I don't want to put a condom on my partner.
26. I don't need to use a condom, I never catch anything.
27. I don't need to use a condom, I use another method.
28. When I use a condom I feel less involved or committed to the relationship.
29. Most of the time neither of us has a condom available.

Response Options:
5-point Likert scale
Strongly agree - 1
Strongly disagree - 5

Scoring Procedures

Items are summed to yield a total score and items assigned to each subscale are summed to yield the four subscale scores.

Original Citation

St. Lawrence, J. S., Chapdelaine, A. P., Devieux, J. G., O’Bannon, R. E., Brasfield, T. L., & Eldridge, G. D. (1999). Measuring perceived barriers to condom use: Psychometric evaluation of the Condom Barriers Scale. Assessment, 6(4), 391-400. https://doi.org/10.1177/107319119900600409


Psychometric Score

Ease of Use Score

Scoring breakdown

Formative Research

Qualitative Research

Existing Literature/Theoretical Framework

Field Expert Input

Cognitive Interviews / Pilot Testing

Reliability

Internal

Test-retest

Interrater

Validity

Content

Face

Criterion (gold-standard)

Construct

KEY

Ease of Use

Readability

Scoring Clarity

Length

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