Condom Distribution Structural Intervention (CDSI) is a part of the HIV and sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention strategy that helps increase the availability, accessibility, and acceptability of condoms in an effort to prevent HIV and STI transmission.

About Condom Distribution Structural Interventions

Condom distribution is a cost-effective structural intervention that provides communities with resources needed to prevent HIV and STI transmission. Making condoms widely available through condom distribution programs (CDPs) is integral to successful HIV prevention. CDC requires select funding recipients to implement CDPs as part of a larger HIV prevention strategy.

Strategy Goals

• Identify the internal and external factors that will help build effective CDPs at:
  • Venues frequented by people with HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STI) risk factors.
  • Communities disproportionately affected by HIV, especially those marginalized by social, economic, or other structural conditions.
  • The general population within jurisdictions with high HIV incidence.
• Develop a process for identifying and engaging appropriate community partners and agencies that plan, implement, manage, or provide resources to support CDPs.
• Identify difficulties, such as reaching members of populations with HIV and STI risk factors or groups that have been marginalized, and strategies to overcome those challenges.
• Conduct an evaluation to identify any structural barriers and ensure that condoms are available in the locations where members of the population at increased risk for HIV are found (e.g., pharmacies, condom dispensing machines, outreach workers).
• Ensure CDP is accessible in venues frequented by disproportionately affected populations (e.g., massive distribution of free condoms).
• Ensure that CDP is acceptable to community members and in alignment with social norms (e.g., social marketing of condoms).
• Calculate the costs and determine the scale of the CDP.
• Identify the laws, policies, or practices that may support or hinder a CDP.
• Define programmatic objectives, key indicators (e.g., number of condoms distributed) for measuring the program’s performance, and how data will be collected.
• Identify number of agencies, venues, or settings where free condoms are distributed.
• Identify estimated number of audience impressions from campaign messages.