Skip to main content
Journal of the National Medical Association logoLink to Journal of the National Medical Association
. 2002 Nov;94(11):944–951.

Barriers to safer sex practices among African American college students.

Cecil Duncan, Doreen M Miller, Erma J Borskey, Betty Fomby, Peter Dawson, Lucille Davis
PMCID: PMC2594191  PMID: 12442997

Abstract

African American college students are among the age group of African Americans with significantly higher heterosexual transmission of HIV. It has been projected that young African Americans of college age will be the next group to be affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The goals of this research were to identify barriers to African American college students engaging in safer sex behaviors; determine whether barriers to safer sex differ for African American men versus African American women; and use the findings to help identify strategies likely to promote safer sex practices among African American college students. The Nominal Group Technique (NGT) was used to collect the information. The results yielded the following themes. For males and females, the combined themes, negative views of condoms were ranked the most important with a score of 70. Trust issues were ranked the second most important with a total score of 47. The third highest ranked theme was living for the moment with a total score of 43. The fourth highest ranked theme was feeling invincible with a total score of 42. The authors provide a number of recommendations for consideration in the development of HIV prevention programs for African American college students.

Full text

PDF
948

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Bazargan M., Kelly E. M., Stein J. A., Husaini B. A., Bazargan S. H. Correlates of HIV risk-taking behaviors among African-American college students: the effect of HIV knowledge, motivation, and behavioral skills. J Natl Med Assoc. 2000 Aug;92(8):391–404. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Beckman L. J., Harvey S. M., Tiersky L. A. Attitudes about condoms and condom use among college students. J Am Coll Health. 1996 May;44(6):243–249. doi: 10.1080/07448481.1996.9936851. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Carroll L. Gender, knowledge about AIDS, reported behavioral change, and the sexual behavior of college students. J Am Coll Health. 1991 Jul;40(1):5–12. doi: 10.1080/07448481.1991.9936252. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Ehde D. M., Holm J. E., Robbins G. M. The impact of Magic Johnson's HIV serostatus disclosure on unmarried college students' HIV knowledge, attitudes, risk perception, and sexual behavior. J Am Coll Health. 1995 Sep;44(2):55–58. doi: 10.1080/07448481.1995.9937512. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Johnson E. H., Gant L., Hinkle Y. A., Gilbert D., Willis C., Hoopwood T. Do African-American men and women differ in their knowledge about AIDS, attitudes about condoms, and sexual behaviors? J Natl Med Assoc. 1992 Jan;84(1):49–64. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Johnson E. H., Hinkle Y., Gilbert D., Gant L. M. Black males who always use condoms: their attitudes, knowledge about AIDS, and sexual behavior. J Natl Med Assoc. 1992 Apr;84(4):341–352. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Johnson R. L., Douglas W., Nelson A. Sexual behaviors of African-American male college students and the risk of HIV infection. J Natl Med Assoc. 1992 Oct;84(10):864–868. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of the National Medical Association are provided here courtesy of National Medical Association

RESOURCES