Shared Communities, Structural Contexts, and HIV Risk: Prioritizing the HIV Risk and Prevention Needs of Black Heterosexual Men

Abstract

Black heterosexual men (BHM) are seldom mentioned in HIV prevention research, policy, and interventions, despite evidence that heterosexual contact is becoming the leading exposure category for BHM. The disparate effect of HIV/AIDS on BHM; the debunked "down low" myth; the contexts of BHM's lives in terms of disproportionate poverty, unemployment, and incarceration; and a growing empirical base linking these factors to increased HIV risk, underscore the need to prioritize HIV risk and prevention initiatives for BHM. We highlighted the structural contexts of HIV risk for BHM, and four community-based approaches to address HIV risk and prevention for BHM: (1) men's health programs; (2) workforce and postincarceration release programs; (3) linkages to women's prevention programs; and (4) faith-based initiatives.