Real Men Do…Real Men Don’t: Young Latino and African American Men’s Discourses Regarding Sexual Health Care Utilization

Abstract

There is growing recognition that men as well as women need sexual health care (SHC) services. Despite this, male friendly sexual health services are not readily available in the United States, and men are underutilizing the services that are available. This situation needs to be rectified to improve sexual health outcomes for men and women. In this study we conducted 10 focus groups with young adult Latino and African American men to examine their perceptions of the factors influencing SHC utilization among the men they know, with an emphasis on how notions of what it means to be a man affects health care seeking. The findings both amplify and complicate the relationship between masculinity and SHC seeking. They suggest new directions for public health efforts to enhance men’s SHC utilization.