Overlooked role of African-American males' hypermasculinity in the epidemic of unintended pregnancies and HIV/AIDS cases with young African-American women

J Natl Med Assoc. 2003 Sep;95(9):846-52.

Abstract

This article looks at multiple lines of converging evidence relevant to the 72% unintended pregnancy rate, and recently emerged heterosexually-based HIV/AIDS epidemic with young African-American women. Evidence recently reveals a convergence of these epidemics, in a vulnerable subpopulation segment of African-American women. Overlooked, as a unique contributing factor in these epidemics is the hypermasculine behaviors of African-American males. Among the risky behaviors linked with this hypermasculinity are a greater tendency with African-American males to have more multiple sexual partners, and a stronger aversion to condom use than other male ethnic groups. As a contributing factor in these epidemics, African-American males' hypermasculinity has several implications for intervention strategies to reduce the epidemics, which are discussed.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Black People*
  • Black or African American / statistics & numerical data*
  • Disease Outbreaks / statistics & numerical data*
  • Female
  • Gender Identity*
  • HIV Infections / ethnology*
  • Health Behavior / ethnology*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Pregnancy*
  • Risk-Taking
  • Sexual Behavior / ethnology
  • United States / epidemiology