Pending research issues in male condom use promotion.

Sufficient evidence has accumulated to warrant the expansion of condom use research in several additional directions. Possible risk compensation pertaining to human papillomavirus vaccination and vaginal microbicides is one example. A second area of needed research involves the question of when couples can be advised to safely discontinue condom use given that 'lifelong' condom use is not a realistic goal for most people. A third example is intensified research designed to identify more effective means of mass marketing condoms and their use as a health-protective behaviour. As the AIDS and sexually transmissible infection pandemics persist, intensified condom promotion research is an ethical imperative.