The Influence of Role Status on Risky Sexual Behavior Among African Americans During the Transition to Adulthood

Black Women’s Sexual Assertiveness and Satisfaction: The Role of the Superwoman Schema

Although extant research highlights the detrimental effects of the Superwoman Schema (SWS) on Black women’s physical and psychological well-being, researchers have yet to examine the implications of SWS endorsement on Black women’s sexual attitudes and behaviors. As a culturally salient racialized gender schema that reifies Black women’s supposed superhuman emotional and physical strength, to what extent does endorsement of the SWS contribute to Black women’s reported sexual assertiveness and satisfaction? In the present work, 406 Black women completed an online survey measuring their endorsement of the SWS, as well as their sexual assertiveness and sexual satisfaction. SWS dimensions moderated the association between sexual assertiveness and sexual satisfaction. Findings from the present study highlight the importance of considering culturally salient racialized gender schemas when examining Black women’s sexual attitudes and behaviors.

Being fast or cautious? Sociocultural conditions influencing the sexual pathways of Black females in the United States

BACKGROUND

Black females in the United States face unique sociocultural conditions that impact their sexual development and increase their risk for sexually transmitted infections (STI), including but not limited to chlamydia, gonorrhea, and HIV. Research has not adequately explained how sociocultural conditions contribute to this increased risk. The purpose of our investigation was to explore the sociocultural conditions that influence Black cisgender females risk for STI.

METHODS

This grounded theory study involved in-depth audio-recorded interviews with 20, primarily heterosexual, Black females ages 19-62.

RESULTS

Findings informed a conceptual model that builds on previous theory about the sexual development of Black females and explains how sociocultural conditions impact two, participant identified, sexual pathways: Fast and Cautious. Movement on these sexual pathways was not always a linear trajectory; some participants shifted between pathways as their sociocultural contexts changed (i.e., sexual assault, STI, and level of protection). The Fast sexual pathway often led to greater STI risk.

CONCLUSIONS

This model may inform future research designed to prevent STI/HIV and promote the sexual health of Black females across the life course.

Ethnic Identity, Empowerment, Social Support and Sexual Risk Behaviors Among Black Adolescent Girls: Examining Drug Use as a Mediator

Substance abuse and sexual health research tends to overlook the resiliency skills that Black adolescent girls possess. Using a strengths-based lens, this study examines the role of protective factors: (e.g. ethnic identity, social support, and psychological empowerment) on sexual risk behaviors testing drug use as a mediator among a sample of Black adolescent girls. The study uses a sample (N = 340) female adolescents (13-17 years old) who identified as being Black only and reside in a northeastern urban community in New Jersey. Structural equation modeling was employed to test the hypothesized model of the mediating role of drug use on sexual risk behaviors among this sample. Findings revealed that drug use significantly mediated the relationship between social support, ethnic identity, and psychological empowerment on sexual risk behaviors, with high ethnic identity scores having the strongest relationship on low sexual risk behaviors and low levels of drug use. Given the rise of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the United States among Black adolescent girls, findings from this study can contribute to development of culturally appropriate and innovative strategies to reduce risky behaviors by promoting social and cultural strengths among Black girls living in urban communities.

Patient Prototypes

Abstract. Despite large bodies of research examining perceptions of illnesses and perceptions of people who engage in various health behaviors, very little research has examined perceptions of people who have a specific illness. The aims of this research were to create a measure of “patient prototypes,” mental representations of the type of person who has a specific illness, and to examine their associations with other health cognitions and behaviors. Two survey studies (Study 1: N = 208 and Study 2: N = 246) assessed patient prototype favorability for three illnesses (skin cancer, Human papillomavirus (HPV), and type 2 diabetes) as well as constructs from the common-sense model and prototype willingness model. Patient prototypes for the three illnesses were distinct in terms of specific traits and overall favorability. Generally, patient prototype favorability was unrelated to illness representation dimensions in the common-sense model but was positively associated with some constructs in the prototype/willingness model. All three prototypes were positively correlated with perceived vulnerability. The skin cancer prototype was positively correlated with measures of behavioral willingness, behavioral intention, and actual health behavior (UV exposure). Limitations include the use of young adult participants who have relatively little experience with the illnesses examined. Measures of patient prototype favorability and health behaviors need to be further examined and refined. The novel construct of patient prototype favorability provides a foundation for future inquiry into the role that patient perceptions play in health behavior and the implications for the prototype/willingness model and the common-sense model.

“It Feels So Good”: Pleasure in Last Sexual Encounter Narratives of Black University Students

A sex-positive lens is needed to investigate Black sexuality, which is often depicted through deficit and risk models. Extant sex research leaves an opportunity to understand Black experiences of sexual pleasure untapped. Using narrative inquiry coupled with constructivist grounded theory methods, we examined 18 Black university students’ last sexual encounter narratives. An explication of their disclosure about and meaning making around pleasure is presented. Themes included the following: monitoring mutual pleasure, relegating pleasure to men’s performance, and positioning pleasured possibilities as hope or expectation. Research implications for Black psychology are addressed.

Will it help? Identifying socialization discourses that promote sexual risk and sexual health among African American youth

Because much of the existing research examining sexual communication to African American youth focuses on demographic and parental factors predicting sexual risk behaviors, less is known about factors predicting sexual health, and little is understood about the contributions of peer communications. The current study aimed to expand existing approaches by assessing which socialization discourses communicated by parents and peers contribute to sexual risk and health outcomes (sexual assertiveness, positive sexual affect, and condom self-efficacy). Participants were 631 African American undergraduates (73% female) who indicated the extent to which they had received from their parents and peers each of 28 messages representing four cultural discourses: abstinence, relational sex, sex positive, and gendered sexual roles. As expected, parents were perceived to emphasize relational sex and abstinence messages more than peers, and peers were perceived to communicate sex-positive and gendered sex role messages more than parents. Greater exposure to abstinence messages predicted lower levels of sexual experimentation, whereas exposure to sex-positive messages predicted higher levels. In addition, exposure to relational sex and sex-positive messages predicted higher levels of sexual assertiveness and positive sexual affect. Implications are discussed concerning sexual communications that could help Black youth develop healthy sexual perspectives.

An Exploration of the Sexual Behaviors of Emerging Adult Men Attending a Historically Black College/University

The purpose of this study was to provide formative data on the sexual behaviors of emerging adult Black men who attended a historically Black college/university. A convenience sample of 19 participants completed a demographic questionnaire and a semi-structured interview. This study utilized a phenomenological qualitative approach to explore the role of the developmental stage that emerging adulthood has on sexual health. Some of the major themes that emerged included maturation, sexual decision-making, respectability, a future orientation, and masculinity. Despite sexual initiation beginning prior to entering college, participants discussed how the college environment presented them with new information, experiences, and attitudes. This study provides useful information for the future investigation of emerging adult Black men who attend HBCUs.

Assessing the health behaviors of African American emerging adults

The purpose of this article was to assess the overall health behaviors of African American emerging adults who live in a Midwestern city. Two hundred participants, ages 18-25, completed a 129-item survey. Results indicate that African American emerging adults are engaged in relatively healthy behaviors (i.e., physical activity, low substance use). The results also showed that within the emerging adult developmental period, there are differences in behavior for those who are in the younger (18-20) versus those that are older (21-25) in the developmental period. Limitations, future research, and implications for practice will also be discussed.

Buffering Effects of a Family-Based Intervention for African American Emerging Adults

This study focused on the buffering effects of Adults in the Making (AIM), a family-centered preventive intervention, on the link between life stress and increases in risk behaviors among 347 rural, southern African Americans as they left high school. Of the families, 174 were assigned to the prevention condition and 173 to a control condition. Emerging adults reported risk behaviors at pretest, posttest (7 months after pretest), and long-term follow-up (10 months after posttest). A significant Life stress × Prevention condition interaction emerged: Increases in risk behaviors were significantly greater among emerging adults in the control condition who experienced high stress levels than among those in the prevention condition who experienced equally high stress levels.

Self-regulatory problems mediate the association of contextual stressors and unprotected intercourse among rural, African American, young adult men

In this brief report, the hypothesis that self-regulatory problems would mediate the association between contextual stressors and unprotected intercourse among rural African American young adult men was investigated. Family support and religiosity were hypothesized to ameliorate the influence of contextual stressors on self-regulatory problems. Hypotheses were tested on 79 sexually active men from a sample recruited with Respondent Driven Sampling; episodes of unprotected intercourse constituted the criterion variable. Analyses supported the mediating role of self-regulatory problems in linking young adult men's contextual stressors with a heightened likelihood of unprotected intercourse. Religious involvement and family support interacted with contextual stressors to predict diminished associations with self-regulatory problems.