title: Starting on a healthy path: promotion of young men's sexual health.
abstract: Sexuality is an integral part of human life. Men's needs in sexual and reproductive health and health care are receiving increased attention. Adolescence offers the opportunity to improve men's sexual health, as males begin exploring their sexual identity and developing romantic relationships. Despite encouraging trends in risky behavior and health status, rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) remain high and disparities persist. Young African American men have higher incidence of risky behavior, STIs, and HIV/AIDS. Promoting sexual health and well-being for young men requires multifaceted strategies, including clinical care, education, and improved access to services. Strategies should address the needs of all youth, including homosexual youth. Although reducing specific risky behaviors and health problems remains a priority, more holistic efforts to understand the context and meaning of sexual activity for young males are needed.
authors.affiliation: Division of Adolescent Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, USA. jane.park@ucsf.edu
authors.forename: M Jane
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Breland
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016497:Adolescent Health Services; D017280:Condoms / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D054526:Men's Health; D015995:Prevalence; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012736:Sex Education; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000706:statistics & numerical data