TY - JOUR
T1 - Sexual Health Research With Young Black Men Who Have Sex With Men
T2 - Experiences of Benefits and Harms
AU - Arrington-Sanders, Renata
AU - Morgan, Anthony
AU - Oidtman, Jessica
AU - Dao, Ann
AU - Moon, Margaret
AU - Fortenberry, J. Dennis
AU - Ott, Mary A.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2016, Springer Science+Business Media New York.
PY - 2017/5/1
Y1 - 2017/5/1
N2 - Young Black men who have sex with men (YBMSM) are often underrepresented in sexual health research because of concerns about safety, privacy, and the potential for research harms. Empirical data are needed to understand YBMSM experience of participating in research, benefits and harms (discomfort), to inform policy and regulatory decisions. Using qualitative methods, this article examines 50 YBMSM, aged 15–19 years, experiences of benefits/harms, challenges of participating in sexual health research, and contextual factors impacting research experiences. Participants were asked about benefits and harms experienced in answering questions about sexual orientation, first same-sex attraction, and same-sex sexual experiences after completing an in-depth interview. Interviews were transcribed and coded. Inductive open coding was used to identify themes within and between interviews. Participants were able to describe perceived direct benefits resulting from research interview participation, including awareness of risky sexual behaviors, a safe space to share early coming out stories and same-sex sexual experiences, and a sense of empowerment and comfort with one’s sexual orientation. Indirect benefits described by participants included perceptions of helping others and the larger gay community. Few participants described harms (discomfort recalling experiences). Our data suggest that participating in qualitative sexual health research focused on sexual orientation, sexual attraction, and early same-sex sexual experiences may result in minimal harms for YBMSM and multiple benefits, including feeling more comfortable than in a general medical visit.
AB - Young Black men who have sex with men (YBMSM) are often underrepresented in sexual health research because of concerns about safety, privacy, and the potential for research harms. Empirical data are needed to understand YBMSM experience of participating in research, benefits and harms (discomfort), to inform policy and regulatory decisions. Using qualitative methods, this article examines 50 YBMSM, aged 15–19 years, experiences of benefits/harms, challenges of participating in sexual health research, and contextual factors impacting research experiences. Participants were asked about benefits and harms experienced in answering questions about sexual orientation, first same-sex attraction, and same-sex sexual experiences after completing an in-depth interview. Interviews were transcribed and coded. Inductive open coding was used to identify themes within and between interviews. Participants were able to describe perceived direct benefits resulting from research interview participation, including awareness of risky sexual behaviors, a safe space to share early coming out stories and same-sex sexual experiences, and a sense of empowerment and comfort with one’s sexual orientation. Indirect benefits described by participants included perceptions of helping others and the larger gay community. Few participants described harms (discomfort recalling experiences). Our data suggest that participating in qualitative sexual health research focused on sexual orientation, sexual attraction, and early same-sex sexual experiences may result in minimal harms for YBMSM and multiple benefits, including feeling more comfortable than in a general medical visit.
KW - Harms and benefits
KW - Institutional review boards (IRBs)
KW - Sexual health research participation
KW - Sexual orientation
KW - Young Black men who have sex with men (YBMSM)
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84962159037&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84962159037&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s10508-016-0715-5
DO - 10.1007/s10508-016-0715-5
M3 - Article
C2 - 27043836
AN - SCOPUS:84962159037
SN - 0004-0002
VL - 46
SP - 937
EP - 946
JO - Archives of Sexual Behavior
JF - Archives of Sexual Behavior
IS - 4
ER -