Show me some love: Sexual risk among young heterosexual Black men recently released from jail/prison

For the last two decades young Black men have been incarcerated at disproportionately higher rates compared to other racial/ethnic groups. Some of these men may have been mentally, emotionally or physically subjected to negative conditions that may influence behavior that poses health risks. Therefore, the health needs of young Black men post-incarceration need to be considered. This presentation is a dialogue about the need for health professionals to consider the context of incarceration and its impact on health behavior post release. This is particularly relevant for sexual risk reduction given the emotional stress associated with incarceration. Using themes from a pilot qualitative study, we discuss the need for sexual risk reduction interventions for young Black men recently released from jail/prison. The study includes nine one-on-one interviews with heterosexual young adult Black men recently released from jail/prison (18-25 years). Themes included: 1) their frustration of being away from their loved ones and the stress of losing their freedom. In addition, 2) men were challenged with not being able to have sexual intercourse with their previous partners while away. Once released, the men were 3) ‘feening' to resume sexual relationships with their ‘main girl' but also had concurrent relationships with other female partners. Some men described these sexual encounters as 4) a benefit of the ‘warm embrace' they received from their friends/family upon release. Given the harsh realities of incarceration, it is not surprising that young Black men return home and want to focus on their freedom and being ‘shown love'. Health, specifically sexual health does not appear to be a priority when these men were initially released from jail/prison. It would also appear that after release, sex is being used as a coping mechanism to deal with emotional issues associated with being incarcerated. More needs to be done to study and develop health education and programs that are culturally relevant and gender specific to serve the young Black male population addressing their emotional and health needs during their incarceration and after release from the criminal justice system.

Note: A supplementary summary is not being considered.