Object:

To Identify the barriers to access and use of the condom from a gender perspective.

Materials and methods:

A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted in the province of Havana, Cuba, from June 2016 to June 2017. The instruments applied were bibliographic and documentary review, semi-structured interviews and focus groups.

Results:

The barriers were classified as sociocultural, infrastructural, political, religious, psychological and economic. The socio-cultural barriers identified were: persistence of taboos, poor perception of risk, and machismo’s attitudes in men, gender inequality and barriers in educational messages. Infrastructures: lack of non-traditional points of sale, instability of the supply of condoms in pharmacies, little variety of the product and no provisions that allow sale in non-state or private premises, among others.

Conclusions:

Identification of barriers to condom access and use provides clarity on the elements that reproduce gaps in the Social Marketing strategy of the Condom and in the prevention actions of Sexually Transmitted Infections / Human Immunodeficiency Virus / AIDS. To advance in the national response is necessary to break down barriers, mainly socio-cultural and structural that stop prevention efforts.