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Love, Sex, and Masculinity in Sociocultural ContextHIV Concerns and Condom Use among African American Men in Heterosexual RelationshipsUniversity of Rhode Island African American men in heterosexual relationships are virtually invisible in the theoretical and empirical psychological HIV/AIDS literature. This article posits that two theoretical frameworksmasculinity ideologies (MI) and sociocultural contextare important for comprehending Black mens condom use. Qualitative methods, although relatively rare in U.S. psychology, are critical to understanding the context of lived experience, particularly with under researched populations and topics. This study involved semi structured interviews with lower-middle-income African American men (N = 13) between the ages of twenty-four and fifty in emotionally and sexually intimate heterosexual relationships. Data were analyzed via three techniques derived from grounded theory analysis. Analyses revealed that although many (n = 9) articulated traditional MI (e.g., sexual permissiveness) that have implications for HIV risk, eleven participants also expressed unconventional MI (e.g., being as or more emotionally invested than their female partners) that also have implications for reducing risk in Black heterosexual relationships.
Key Words: Black/African American masculinity condom use sociocultural context heterosexual relationships
Men and Masculinities, Vol. 7, No. 2,
166-186 (2004) |
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