Relational, pleasure, and fear-associated aspects of condom use for disease prevention: A qualitative study of high-risk African American men

This study explores beliefs held by young African American men newly diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection (STI), regarding condom use. Recruited from a publicly funded STI clinic, participants were African American men (18-29 years of age) who reported using a condom in the past 3 months for penile-vaginal intercourse. Through face-to-face qualitative interviews, 20 men shared their perceptions of condom use with female partners. Findings suggest that condom use among high-risk African American men may best be understood as part of the complex relational dynamics associated with having multiple partnerships. Given the high seroprevalence of STIs in their communities and sexual networks, men also describe the tensions related to sexual pleasure and the fear associated with non-condom use.