Racial Discrimination, Protective Processes, and Sexual Risk Behaviors Among Black Young Males

The impact of COVID-19-related anti-Asian discrimination on sexual communication and relationships among Asian individuals in the United States

Asian individuals in the United States have experienced heightened racial discrimination during the COVID-19 pandemic, which may reduce positive relationship processes and damage intimate relationships, including their sexual behaviors and quality. Guided by the chilling effect and Interpersonal Exchange Model of Sexual Satisfaction, this study explores how COVID-19-related anti-Asian discrimination moderates the relationships between sexual relationship power, sexual self-disclosure, and sexual satisfaction. Results (N = 294 partnered Asian adults) showed that as racial discrimination increased, the positive relationship between sexual relationship power and sexual self-disclosure decreased. As people experienced more racial discrimination, the positive effects of sexual self-disclosure on sexual satisfaction also decreased. Sexual power positively predicted sexual satisfaction via sexual communication, only when COVID-19-related discrimination was low or moderate. This study demonstrates how racial discrimination interacts with relational factors to predict Asian individuals' sexual communication and, in turn, sexual satisfaction. More public attention and efforts should be devoted to combating anti-Asian discrimination during the pandemic and beyond.

Racial Discrimination and Risky Sex: Examining Cognitive-Emotional Factors in Black College Students

Using the lifespan biopsychosocial model of cumulative vulnerability and minority health as a theroretical lens, the present study proposed two models to test the relationships among racial discrimination, cognitive–emotional factors, and risky sexual behaviors in a sample of 302 Black college students in the United States. Our models provided support for some of the hypothesized direct and indirect pathways. As expected, overt racial discrimination and subtle racial discrimination (i.e., racial microaggression) were both positively related to cognitive–emotional factors (i.e., anxiety, depression, hopelessness, and hostility). Racial microaggressions were significantly positively related to risky sexual behaviors, but overt racial discrimination was not. Hostility was the only cognitive–emotional factor that facilitated an indirect, significant effect from racial microaggressions to risky sexual behaviors. Potential implications are discussed for practice, training programs, and future counseling psychology research with Black college students using the lifespan biopsychosocial model of cumulative vulnerability and minority health.

A Mixed-Methods Pilot Evaluation of Manhood 2.0, a Program to Reduce Unintended Pregnancy Among Young Men

One promising though understudied approach to addressing race/ethnic disparities in teen pregnancy rates is through sexual and reproductive health (SRH) programming for young men. This pilot study assessed the feasibility, quality, and preliminary efficacy of Manhood 2.0-a group-based, after-school SRH program for young Black and Latino men, which examines gender norms. This mixed-methods study describes program attendance and quality; participant experiences and engagement in the program; and changes in participant gender norms, knowledge, attitudes, self-efficacy, and social support. Quantitative data from baseline and post-intervention surveys (n = 51) were analyzed using paired t-tests and McNemar's tests. Qualitative data from five post-intervention focus groups (n = 27) were transcribed, coded, and analyzed for themes. At baseline, participants were ages 15 to18 years (M = 16.4 years), 30% were Latino, 66% were Black, 34% ever had sex, and 44% of sexually active participants had sex without any contraceptive method or condom. Quality ratings by program observers were high. The majority of participants (61%) attended at least 75% of sessions, and 96% rated Manhood 2.0 as "very good" or "excellent." Pre-post comparisons showed increases in receipt of SRH information; contraception knowledge; positive attitudes about supporting partners in pregnancy prevention; self-efficacy in partner communication about sex; discussing program content with friends and family; and social competence and support. Focus group participants described benefits from the Manhood 2.0 content (i.e., full range of contraceptive methods, sexual consent, gender norms) and delivery (i.e., reflective discussion, nonjudgmental facilitators). Findings suggest that Manhood 2.0 is a promising SRH program for young men.

Adolescent Sexual Development: A Family Perspective

Adolescent sexual development is informed by individual, relational, generational, institutional, and cultural perspectives. Families matter: they are the social institution at the intersection of adolescent development and broader social systems, charged with the responsibility for rearing children and adolescents to adulthood. This narrative review maps insights from family theory and research onto adolescent sexual development research. Our purpose is to inform sexuality researchers from diverse fields about how family perspectives can enrich understanding of adolescent sexual development. We present the critical, intersectional theoretical framework guiding this review as consisting of three meta-themes for understanding families through an examination of family structure, process, and context. Then, we apply those meta-themes to current research on adolescent sexual development by selectively organizing our review around the contexts of family structural diversity and family relational complexity, demonstrating that both the structure and the process components are embedded within the intersectional and cultural contexts that shape and are shaped by families. Our review demonstrates that diverse, intersectional family structures and transitions may affect adolescent sexual development by influencing family processes, particularly around sexual communication. We conclude with implications of using family perspectives for future inquiry related to adolescent sexual development.