Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of the National Medical Association logoLink to Journal of the National Medical Association
. 1992 Apr;84(4):341–352.

Black males who always use condoms: their attitudes, knowledge about AIDS, and sexual behavior.

E H Johnson 1, Y Hinkle 1, D Gilbert 1, L M Gant 1
PMCID: PMC2637695  PMID: 1507249

Abstract

One hundred six black males completed a questionnaire concerning attitudes and knowledge about the use of condoms and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Of the 106 males in the study, 27 (26%) reported that they "always" used condoms, 31 (29%) did not use condoms and had low intentions of using them, and 48 (45%) reported high intentions to use condoms. Results indicated that knowledge about AIDS was exceptionally high for black males in all three groups. Black males with low intentions to use condoms reported significantly more negative attitudes about the use of condoms (eg, using condoms is disgusting) and reacted with more intense anger when their partners asked about previous sexual contacts, when a partner refused sex without a condom, or when they perceived condoms as interfering with foreplay and sexual pleasure. A significantly larger percentage of low intenders were treated for gonorrhea, syphilis, herpes, and genital warts than males in the other groups. Drug use did not differentiate the three groups, although marijuana was used more often by males in the low-intender group. Finally, a larger percentage of black males in the low-intender group reported experiences with anal intercourse and sex with a prostitute, but considered themselves at lower risk for AIDS than did their high-intender or steady-user counterparts.

Full text

PDF
346

Selected References

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

  1. Aral S. O., Cates W., Jr, Jenkins W. C. Genital herpes: does knowledge lead to action? Am J Public Health. 1985 Jan;75(1):69–71. doi: 10.2105/ajph.75.1.69. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) AIDS and human immunodeficiency virus infection in the United States: 1988 update. MMWR Suppl. 1989 May 12;38(4):1–38. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Increases in primary and secondary syphilis--United States. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 1987 Jul 3;36(25):393–397. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Clark S. D., Jr, Zabin L. S., Hardy J. B. Sex, contraception and parenthood: experience and attitudes among urban black young men. Fam Plann Perspect. 1984 Mar-Apr;16(2):77–82. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Darrow W. W. Veneral infections in three ethnic groups in Sacramento. Am J Public Health. 1976 May;66(5):446–450. doi: 10.2105/ajph.66.5.446. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. DiClemente R. J., Boyer C. B., Morales E. S. Minorities and AIDS: knowledge, attitudes, and misconceptions among black and Latino adolescents. Am J Public Health. 1988 Jan;78(1):55–57. doi: 10.2105/ajph.78.1.55. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Fichtner R. R., Aral S. O., Blount J. H., Zaidi A. A., Reynolds G. H., Darrow W. W. Syphilis in the United States: 1967-1979. Sex Transm Dis. 1983 Apr-Jun;10(2):77–80. doi: 10.1097/00007435-198304000-00006. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Johnson E. H., Broman C. L. The relationship of anger expression to health problems among black Americans in a national survey. J Behav Med. 1987 Apr;10(2):103–116. doi: 10.1007/BF00846419. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Judson F. N., Penley K. A., Robinson M. E., Smith J. K. Comparative prevalence rates of sexually transmitted diseases in heterosexual and homosexual men. Am J Epidemiol. 1980 Dec;112(6):836–843. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a113056. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Kegeles S. M., Adler N. E., Irwin C. E., Jr Sexually active adolescents and condoms: changes over one year in knowledge, attitudes and use. Am J Public Health. 1988 Apr;78(4):460–461. doi: 10.2105/ajph.78.4.460. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Moran J. S., Aral S. O., Jenkins W. C., Peterman T. A., Alexander E. R. The impact of sexually transmitted diseases on minority populations. Public Health Rep. 1989 Nov-Dec;104(6):560–565. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Moss G. B., Kreiss J. K. The interrelationship between human immunodeficiency virus infection and other sexually transmitted diseases. Med Clin North Am. 1990 Nov;74(6):1647–1660. doi: 10.1016/s0025-7125(16)30500-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Rickert V. I., Jay M. S., Gottlieb A., Bridges C. Adolescents and AIDS. Female's attitudes and behaviors toward condom purchase and use. J Adolesc Health Care. 1989 Jul;10(4):313–316. doi: 10.1016/0197-0070(89)90064-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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

RESOURCES