157941 A multi-component clinic-based intervention to improve young men's sexual health

Wednesday, November 7, 2007: 1:00 PM

Bruce Armstrong, DSW , Mailman School of Public Health, Department of Population and Family Health, Columbia.University, New York, NY
Debra Kalmuss, PhD , Mailman School of Public Health, Department of Population and Family Health, Columbia.University, New York, NY
Molly Franks, MPH , STD, HIV, Hepatitis C Program, Multnomah County Health Department, Portland, OR
Gabrielle Hecker, MPH , EngenderHealth, New York, NY
Pedro Alicea , Dept of Population and Family Health, Columbia University, New York, NY
David Bell, MD MPH , Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY
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.

Learning Objectives:
*Understand young men’s need for sexual and reproductive health (SRH) education and services and the lack of infrastructure available to provide it. *Examine a model for systematically incorporating SRH education into services at a health clinic dedicated to young men. *Recognize the positive sexual health outcomes associated with the provision of male sexual health education.

Keywords: Male Reproductive Health, Male Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No
Any institutionally-contracted trials related to this submission?

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.