Evaluation of a community-based sexual health intervention for young adult Latino and African-American men

Abstract 

Background

Recent research has documented men's unmet need for sexual and reproductive health (SRH) care, a situation which negatively affects their sexual health outcomes as well as those of their partners. This unmet need is due, in part, to men's reluctance to seek health care in general and sexual health care in particular. In this study we evaluated an educational intervention for men designed to promote more positive attitudes toward health care utilization and increase their use of SRH care. The secondary aims of the intervention were to improve men's knowledge about sexually transmitted infections and emergency contraception as well as to promote positive condom attitudes and safer sex behaviors.

Methods

This study used a non-equivalent control group design with pretest and post-test assessments to evaluate a 3-session SRH educational intervention delivered in small group community settings. A total of 231 men participated in the intervention and completed pretest and post-test assessments, 113 in the intervention and 118 in the control group. To be eligible for the study men had to be aged 18–30, Latino or black and able to participate in an English-language educational program. Study participants were recruited from community-based organizations. Men completed self-administered pretest interviews at study enrollment and a brief telephone interview 3 months later.

Results

The intervention promoted more positive health care utilization attitudes and modestly improved use of SRH care services. In addition, post-test comparisons indicated that men in the intervention group, when compared to those in the control group, had higher levels of sexual health knowledge, more positive attitudes on one of two condom attitude measures, and fewer sex partners in the past 3 months. No significant intervention effect was observed for the frequency of condom use in general or with casual sex partners.

Conclusions

This modest success supports the viability and efficacy of delivering sexual health education to young adult men of color in community programs that address men's educational and job-related needs.

Keywords: Sexual health, Men's health, Health services utilization, Community-based programs, Community-based research