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Condom-Related Problems Among a Racially Diverse Sample of Young Men Who Have Sex with Men

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Abstract

We described frequencies of condom-related problems in a racially diverse sample of young men who have sex with men (YMSM), and tested these condom-related problems as an explanation for racial disparities in HIV rates among YMSM. Participants were 119 YMSM from a longitudinal study of sexual minority health behaviors. Almost all participants (95.4%) experienced at least one condom error. On average, African American and non-African American YMSM experienced the same number of recent condom-related problems. Therefore, differences in condom-related problems are unlikely to explain racial disparities in HIV rates among YMSM. When serving YMSM, providers should both promote condom use and explain steps to correct condom use.

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Acknowledgments

This project was supported by a grant from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. We wish to thank our collaborators on this project, Dr. Robert Garofalo and the staff of Howard Brown Health Center.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

    Steve N. Du Bois

  2. Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

    Erin Emerson & Brian Mustanski

  3. Research Department, Howard Brown Health Center, Chicago, IL, USA

    Steve N. Du Bois

  4. Institute for Juvenile Research (MC 747), 1747 W. Roosevelt Rd, Chicago, IL, 60608, USA

    Brian Mustanski

Authors
  1. Steve N. Du Bois
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  2. Erin Emerson
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  3. Brian Mustanski
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Correspondence to Brian Mustanski.

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Du Bois, S.N., Emerson, E. & Mustanski, B. Condom-Related Problems Among a Racially Diverse Sample of Young Men Who Have Sex with Men. AIDS Behav 15, 1342–1346 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-010-9862-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-010-9862-1

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