'What Does It Take to Be a Man? What is a Real Man?': Ideologies of Masculinity and HIV Sexual Risk Among Black Heterosexual Men

Overview

Journal Cult Health Sex

Publisher Informa Healthcare

Specialty Social Sciences

Date 2011 Mar 11

PMID 21390949

Citations 81

Authors

Lisa Bowleg

Michelle Teti

Jenne S Massie

Aditi Patel

David J Malebranche

Jeanne M Tschann

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Research documents the link between traditional ideologies of masculinity and sexual risk among multi-ethnic male adolescents and White male college students, but similar research with Black heterosexual men is scarce. This exploratory study addressed this gap through six focus groups with 41 Black, low- to middle-income heterosexual men aged 19 to 51 years in Philadelphia, PA. Analyses highlighted two explicit ideologies of masculinity: that Black men should have sex with multiple women, often concurrently, and that Black men should not be gay or bisexual. Analyses also identified two implicit masculinity ideologies: the perception that Black heterosexual men cannot decline sex, even risky sex, and that women should be responsible for condom use. The study's implications for HIV prevention with Black heterosexual men are discussed.

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