Sexual Health Care Utilization Research Articles

Sexual risk and sexual healthcare utilization profiles among Black sexual minority men in the U.S. Deep South

ABSTRACT Black gay, bisexual, and other Black sexual minority men (BSMM) continue to experience negative health outcomes along the HIV prevention and treatment continuum, especially in the U.S. Deep South. The purpose of this study is to identify sexual risk and healthcare utilization profiles behaviors among BSMM in the Deep South. Guided by the Behavioral Model for Vulnerable Populations, latent class analysis was used to identify sexual risk and healthcare utilization profiles using data from 348 individuals in Jackson, MS and Atlanta, GA. Multinomial logistic regression was used to identify the correlates of class membership. A 3-class solution was identified: Class 1 (Substance using, Low Testers); Class 2 (Condom using testers), and Class 3 (Casual Partner Testers). Class 1 had the highest conditional probabilities of drug (75%) and alcohol (84%) use before sex and the lowest probability of STI and HIV testing. Class 2 had the highest probabilities of condom use and a 65% probability of seeing a healthcare provider. Class 3 had the highest probability of inconsistent condom use and seeing a healthcare provider in the previous 12 months (76%). Findings support the need for targeted interventions tailored to BSMM of different sexual risk and healthcare utilization behaviors.

Real Men Do…Real Men Don’t: Young Latino and African American Men’s Discourses Regarding Sexual Health Care Utilization

There is growing recognition that men as well as women need sexual health care (SHC) services. Despite this, male friendly sexual health services are not readily available in the United States, and men are underutilizing the services that are available. This situation needs to be rectified to improve sexual health outcomes for men and women. In this study we conducted 10 focus groups with young adult Latino and African American men to examine their perceptions of the factors influencing SHC utilization among the men they know, with an emphasis on how notions of what it means to be a man affects health care seeking. The findings both amplify and complicate the relationship between masculinity and SHC seeking. They suggest new directions for public health efforts to enhance men's SHC utilization.