Sexual Behaviors and Aids Concerns among Young Adult Heterosexual Males

ABSTRACT As the human immunodeficiency virus spreads beyond homosexuals and intravenous drug users into the heterosexual community, there is heightened interest in the sexual behavior of sexually active young adults. There is little information on young adult black males, who may be at increased risk, since blacks in this country are contracting Acquired Immune Disease Syndrome (AIDS) at a rate higher than their proportion of the population. This study examined sexual behavior of a sample of heterosexual, sexually active, young adult, black male community college students (N=94), including condom use, length of time sexually active, number of sexual partners, sexual knowledge, and AIDS knowledge. The sample represented a lower middle class, upwardly mobile group. Subjects were knowledgeable about AIDS and generally knew that condoms could protect them from a virus. They were sexually active, although their activity varied a great deal. Knowledge about AIDS and about sexual physiology were not related to concerns about contracting AIDS or to condom use for this sample, nor were high risk behaviors or amount of sexual activity. The young men in this sample did not increase condom use as a result of learning about AIDS. Findings suggest that education about AIDS dnd condom use is not leading to desired changes in behavior. (ABL)