Intervention to Prevent At-Risk Sexual Behavior in African American Boys

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PROJECT SUMMARY The U.S. Government and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have made it a priority, outlined in the White House National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS) 2015 Policy, to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and teen parenthood in African-American male youth because of the high risk and burden for HIV for African Americans. African-American (AA) male youth are at high risk of engaging in at-risk sexual behaviors (ASB) (e.g., multiple sexual partners, sexual intercourse without a condom), which contribute to unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as HIV. Clear communication between parents and their preadolescents about sexual health is associated with higher rates of sexual abstinence, condom use, and intent to delay initiation of sexual intercourse, which can prevent STIs and unintended pregnancy among youth. However, research indicates that AA fathers talk less with their sons about sex than other fathers. There is a paucity of research addressing whether and how AA fathers overcome barriers such as lack of knowledge and negative attitudes toward talking with their sons about sex. Thus, there is a critical need to study processes specific to optimizing father-son sexual health communication. This study will be conducted in NC barbershops, using 150 AA fathers (including father figures) who will be randomized to the intervention or wait-list control condition. The intervention is designed to enhance father-son communication about sexual health and prevent sons' onset of sexual activity and/or engaging in at-risk sexual behaviors. Assessments will be administered at pre-intervention baseline, immediate post-intervention, and 3- month post-intervention. The sons (150), ages 10 – 15 years, will be assigned to conditions according their fathers and will participate in assessments at parallel times. Specific aims are to: Aim 1: Develop an innovative father intervention to prevent at-risk sexual behaviors among their sons. Preliminary data from our previous focus groups will inform the development of a culturally appropriate and theory-based intervention to enhance fathers' (a) STI knowledge, (b) efficacy to communicate with their sons about sexual health, and (c) frequency of father-son sexual health communication. Aim 2: Implement the innovative father intervention to improve father-son communication about sex. Aim 3: Test the efficacy of an innovative father intervention to improve father-son communication about sexual health over time. Working Hypothesis: Sons in the intervention condition will have more appropriate attitudes, intent and behavior regarding engaging in sexual activity than sons in the wait-list control over time. Aim 4: Examine mediating effects of the intervention for effective father- son sexual health communication on sons' sexual activity attitudes, intentions, and behaviors. Working Hypothesis: By enhancing the fathers' behavior, a father intervention will affect sons' attitudes, intention, and behavior regarding engaging in sexual activity.