title: Text messaging for sexual communication and safety among African American young adults.
abstract: African American young adults are at high risk of HIV infection during their lifetimes, and the male condom remains the best method of prevention. Efforts to increase condom use should address the barrier of condom negotiation. We conducted a thematic analysis of qualitative, semistructured interviews with African American young adults to examine their use of text messaging for requesting human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing and condom use within the larger context of general sexual communication using text messages. Text messaging gave participants a level of comfort and disinhibition to discuss sexual topics and negotiate sexual safety. Benefits of text messages included ease of communication, privacy, and increased ability to express condom desires. Difficulties reflected the potential relationship implications of suggesting HIV/STI testing and condom use. Condom negotiation strategies using text messages also mirrored those found to be used in face-to-face communication.
authors.affiliation: 1Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
authors.forename: Michelle R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Broaddus
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dickson-Gomez
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003142:Communication; D017280:Condoms / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D021841:Safe Sex / Q000523:psychology*; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D060145:Text Messaging / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: HIV/AIDS prevention; adolescents / youth, at-risk; communication; content analysis; sexuality / sexual health; technology
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