“Male-Friendly” sexual health promotion for low-income men of color: Lessons learned from a service-based research project at a community health center in Harlem

There is growing evidence that men's sexual and reproductive health care needs are not being adequately met in the U.S. Men's health care seeking is deterred by a multiplicity of factors including economic barriers, masculinity constructions, and the lack of welcoming and gender-sensitive sexual health care delivery sites for men. This project focused on the health system barriers. We assessed whether a "male-friendliness" (MF) assessment and training intervention could increase the capacity of a community-based primary health clinic to offer male-friendly sexual health services. By "male-friendly" we mean a physical environment that is inviting to men, clinic protocols that are sensitive to men's need for routine sexual health education and screening, and staff trained to effectively communicate with men about sexual health. We conducted the intervention at the Helen B. Atkinson Health Center (HBA), a federally qualified health clinic in Harlem. The intervention included: 1) the development, piloting and conduct of a clinic-based male-friendliness assessment tool which involved staff and male client interviews, observation in public areas of the clinic, and review of written clinic forms and educational materials; and (2) the design and conduct of staff training, technical assistance, sexual health screening and education protocol modifications, and materials development and acquisition. An evaluation of the MF training and technical assistance intervention will be based on changes in key male-friendliness indicators as measured in the baseline MF assessment and a follow-up assessment which will be conducted within the next 6 months.