The Stay Safe Project: Use of Customized Links to Improve Engagement with Sexual and Reproductive Health Among Young African American Males Online (Preprint)

Abstract

Research has shown that heterosexual African American males within the age range of 18-24 have higher rates of STI prevalence and engage in higher rates of risky sexual behavior.

The purpose of this study is to explore online engagement with young African American men in discussions about sexual and reproductive health (SRH) care. This paper focuses on the recruitment and social media marketing methods used to target young, heterosexual African American men as part of the Stay Safe Project, a larger study which aims to promote SRH services for heterosexual African American men in Detroit who are aged 18-24.

Participants were recruited between December 2021 and February 2022 through various platforms, including email listservs, Mailchimp, the UMHealthResearch website, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram using both paid and non-paid advertising. In this paper, we examine the use of TinyURL, a URL shortener and customization tool, and culturally-informed social media marketing strategies to promote online engagement with SRH care among young African American men in an urban setting.

The results of this study provide insights into how to leverage social media platforms to improve online engagement with young African American men seeking information and resources about SRH care.

The results of the Stay Safe project have been used to further develop a pilot intervention for this population that will contribute to strategies for encouraging sexual well-being, clinic use, and appropriate linkage to SRH care services among young, heterosexual African American males.