Recently released Black men's perceptions of the impact of incarceration on sexual partnering

"Having a Child Meant I had a Real Life": Reproductive Coercion and Childbearing Motivations Among Young Black Men Living in Baltimore

Despite disproportionate health outcome disparities experienced by Black women, reproductive coercion (RC), a range of behaviors to promote unwanted pregnancy and childbearing motivations among poor young Black men are underexamined in current empirical literature. We aimed to describe perceptions of RC behaviors and childbearing motivations among poor young Black men in Baltimore City. We recruited a convenience sample of young Black men aged 18 to 25 (N = 25). Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and demographic surveys. Thematic analysis was guided by Miller's Traits-Desires-Intentions-Behaviors (TDIB) framework. According to survey data (N = 23), mean age was 22 (2.1). Majority of participants reported sexual relationships with one person (74%; n = 17), almost half (48%; n = 12) were biological fathers, and six (26%) participants reported using RC toward an intimate partner; three (13%) reported experiencing RC behaviors from a female partner. According to qualitative interviews (N = 25), participants described perceived women-partner motivations for RC as entrapment. Childbearing motivations were influenced by (a) legacies and bonding and (b) escaping/correcting the past. Childbearing desires included (a) love feelings and intimacy and (b) good father. Childbearing intentions included (a) resistance to medical interventions and (b) preparation. Perceptions of RC and childbearing motivations reflected desires from participants to fulfill cultural expectations for conventional masculinity and enhance personal dreams for fatherhood. Although some perceptions and behavior patterns aligned with previous studies, RC was relatively rare in this sample. Findings demonstrated nuanced antithesis to stereotypical notions of young Black men and fatherhood. Provision of reproductive care for young men and their sexual partners should include discussions about RC, pregnancy motivations, and healthy sexual communication strategies.

Incarceration Rates and Incidence of Sexually Transmitted Infections in US Counties, 2011-2016

Objectives. To examine rates of sexually transmitted infections as a function of jail and prison incarceration rates across US counties for the years 2011 to 2016.Methods. We used data from several national databases. The outcomes were county-level chlamydia and gonorrhea incidence as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2012-2016). The exposures were lagged specifications of county-level jail and prison incarceration rates as reported by the Vera Institute of Justice (2011-2015). We estimated mixed models to account for the 3 sources of response variable variation occurring across repeated measures collected from counties nested within states.Results. In the final model, jail and prison incarceration rates were associated with a rate increase of 10.13 per 100 000 and 8.22 per 100 000, respectively, of chlamydia incidence. The corresponding rate increases for gonorrhea incidence were 2.47 per 100 000 and 4.40 per 100 000.Conclusions. These findings provide some evidence that the documented differences in chlamydia and gonorrhea incidence between counties may be partially attributable to differences in jail and prison incarceration rates.

Concept Mapping: Engaging Urban Men to Understand Community Influences on Partner Violence Perpetration

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant health concern rooted in community experiences and other social determinants. The purpose of this study is to understand community-based risk and protective factors of IPV perpetration through participatory research that engages men who use IPV. Secondarily, we assess the relative influence, as measured by ranking, of these factors regarding risk of IPV perpetration and stress. We conducted concept mapping with Baltimore men (n = 28), ages 18 and older, enrolled in an abuse intervention program (AIP), through partnership with a domestic violence agency. Concept mapping, a three-phase participatory process, generates ideas around an issue then visually presents impactful domains via multi-dimensional scaling and hierarchical clustering. Most participants were Black (87.5%) and 20-39 years old (75%). Seven key domains, or clusters, were established. "No hope for the future" was the greatest contributor to IPV perpetration. "Socioeconomic struggles" (i.e., lack of employment) and "life in Baltimore" (i.e., homicide) were most likely to result in stress. Emergent domains related to IPV perpetration and stress were ranked similarly, but with some nuance. Having good support systems (i.e., family, community centers) were felt to prevent IPV and reduce stress. This participant-driven process among a primarily young, Black sample of Baltimore men speaks to the influence of perceived social disempowerment and underlying trauma on intimate relationships and the potential for mitigation. Few studies have engaged men who use IPV through participatory research to understand the comprehensive dynamics of an impoverished, urban environment. Results provide direction for community-based intervention and prevention programming to increase self-efficacy, particularly among younger men, and to enact trauma-informed violence prevention policy from the perspectives of male IPV perpetrators.

A latent class analysis of alcohol and drug use immediately before or during sex among women

BACKGROUND

Alcohol and drug use by women is related to high-risk sexual practices and protective behaviors.

OBJECTIVES

To determine sexual risk and protective behaviors using information about women's drug use immediately before or during sex.

METHODS

Latent class analysis using PROC LCA in SAS software was used to determine classes of women using both past 30-day drug use and before or during sex. Participants were recruited from a community-based research site located in a low socio-economic area of Los Angeles County and completed the Risk Behavior Assessment, which elicits information on drug and sex risk behaviors.

RESULTS

The Risk Behavior Assessment and HIV and sexually transmitted infections testing was obtained on 812 women. Five distinct groups were identified by PROC LCA: An Abstinent group comprised of 26% of participants; an Alcohol and Marijuana group (16%); an Amphetamine group (11%); a No Sex-with-Alcohol group (37%); and a Poly Drug group (11%). Multinomial logistic regression revealed that sexual behaviors and condom use were different across the five groups: The Alcohol and Marijuana group had a higher odds of vaginal intercourse, while the No Sex-with-Alcohol group was most likely to use condoms for vaginal intercourse. The Poly Drug group had the highest risk for anal intercourse while the Amphetamine and Poly Drug groups had high proportions of women with injection-drug using and men-who-have-sex-with-men sexual partners.

CONCLUSION

Identifying women based on drug use immediately before or during sex can help providers understand prevention and risk-reduction practices and interventions for drug-using women.