UCLA Multidimensional Condom Attitudes Scale

Condoms can prevent both pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, and it is important to know which specific condom attitudes might be associated with lack of condom use. The 25-item UCLA Multidimensional Condom Attitudes Scale (MCAS) was developed to measure condom attitudes among individuals who do or do not have personal experience using condoms. The MCAS has a 5-factor structure: (1) the reliability and effectiveness of condoms, (2) the sexual pleasure associated with condom use, (3) the stigma associated with people proposing or using condoms, (4) the embarrassment about negotiating and using of condoms, and (5) the embarrassment about purchasing condoms. A smaller subset of items can be used within each factor if 25 items is too many. The MCAS has been translated to more than six languages to date including Chinese, French, and Spanish (Mexican and Columbian). To improve the measurement of condom attitudes, future research should treat condom attitudes as multi-dimensional and consider gendered and cross-cultural approaches to item wording and scale revision.