A multi-component clinic-based intervention to improve young men's sexual health

High rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unintended pregnancy suggest there is an urgent need for more effective sexual health outreach and education for young men. To address these gaps, a three part educational intervention was incorporated into services at a young men's clinic in Northern Manhattan that serves primarily African-Americans and Latinos. The intervention included: a 15-minute waiting room presentation delivered by a health educator, a brief structured one-on-one conversation with a health educator, and incorporation of specific health messages into the doctor's medical exam. Intervention messages discussed: STIs, condoms, birth control, testicular exams, and the importance of regular health checks for men. The evaluation design included brief pretest and 3-month posttest assessments of participants.

Intervention effectiveness was measured by comparisons between pretest and posttest on changes in sexual health related knowledge, attitudes and behavior. Preliminary results from 105 participants suggest that at the 3-month follow-up men had significantly more knowledge about sexual health, increased sense of the availability of affordable health care services, and lower levels of risky sexual behaviors. This study empirically confirms that systematically incorporating small doses of sexual health education into health care visits can be effective in improving young men's knowledge, attitudes and health behaviors.