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. 2003 Sep;95(9):846–852.

Overlooked role of African-American males' hypermasculinity in the epidemic of unintended pregnancies and HIV/AIDS cases with young African-American women.

William A Wolfe 1
PMCID: PMC2594477  PMID: 14527052

Abstract

This article looks at multiple lines of converging evidence relevant to the 72% unintended pregnancy rate, and recently emerged heterosexually-based HIV/AIDS epidemic with young African-American women. Evidence recently reveals a convergence of these epidemics, in a vulnerable subpopulation segment of African-American women. Overlooked, as a unique contributing factor in these epidemics is the hypermasculine behaviors of African-American males. Among the risky behaviors linked with this hypermasculinity are a greater tendency with African-American males to have more multiple sexual partners, and a stronger aversion to condom use than other male ethnic groups. As a contributing factor in these epidemics, African-American males' hypermasculinity has several implications for intervention strategies to reduce the epidemics, which are discussed.

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Selected References

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