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Adolescents in the United States continue to face sexual health issues. While community-based organizations (CBOs) have a long history of addressing the sexual health needs of those they serve, little attention has been given to CBOs focused on adolescent populations and the role youth development professionals (YDPs) might play in the advancement of sexual health. The purpose of this study was to assess the potential of YDPs to provide sexuality information to youth by 1) determining the frequency and type of questions YDPs receive from youth on sexuality and 2) ascertaining the perceived comfort, confidence, skills, and knowledge of YDPs in answering questions from youth and characteristics that might be predictive of increased levels of perceived comfort, confidence, skills, and knowledge. Utilizing a community-based participatory research process that engaged the researchers with leaders, key stakeholders, and youth development professionals from community-based organizations throughout the state, data were collected from 169 YDP in Indiana. YDPs received questions from youth on a broad array of sexuality-related topics with personal skills and relationships being the most frequent topics. YDPs had high perceived levels of comfort, confidence, skills, and knowledge (CCSK) in addressing questions from youth about sexuality. Training, both formal classroom-type training and more informal practices such as advice-seeking from a professional, was the only factor predictive of higher levels of CCSK. Results indicate that YDPs might play an important role in providing sexuality information to youth. Communities interested in ameliorating disparities among youth might want to consider including CBOs and YDPs in an ecological approach to sexual health education. (Contains 6 tables.)

The article discusses a study which investigated the preferences for chlamydia screening and health seeking behaviours by men attending a public health sexually transmissible infection (STI) clinic. The study was aimed at understanding the features of an STI control program. It involved 29 asymptomatic men recruited from Bellflower Clinic in Indianapolis, Indiana. The men were found to prefer speaking with clinic personnel rather than using electronic informational resources. They also preferred to receive results through the telephone instead of electronic options. The authors emphasise the need for future non-clinic based screening strategies to include an educational component to deal with confidentiality and sample quality concerns.

Little is known about men's potential motivations and barriers associated with specific sexually transmitted infections (STI) testing methods. In this study, we examined experiences of self-sampling for ano-rectal STI among men who have sex with men (MSM) in a midwestern community in the U.S. A total of 75 MSM were recruited from community venues throughout Indianapolis, Indiana. Participants completed semi-structured interviews, were asked to obtain ano-rectal self-sample in a private restroom, and were asked open-ended questions about their experiences with ano-rectal self-sampling for STI. Participants included 35 White, 27 Black, and 13 Latino MSM who ranged in age from 18 to 57 years. Regardless of sexual practices, most participants who obtained an ano-rectal self-sample (68/75) reported that the sampling procedure was relatively painless and physically easy. However, regardless of previous receptive anal sex, participants also expressed concerns about the nature of the test (i.e., inserting something into their rectum), which required increased levels of privacy and cleanliness compared to collection of urine samples. Self-sampling proved to be a feasible and acceptable method of collecting ano-rectal STI specimens among MSM. Increased testing for ano-rectal STI among MSM may require addressing the location of sampling and testing sites, existing negative perceptions of ano-rectal self-sampling, and the measures in place to promote privacy and cleanliness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Rectal infection with Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) is frequent in women who deny receptive anal sex and is thought to arise from autoinoculation of the rectum from vaginal secretions. An alternate hypothesis is that oral sex inoculates and establishes gastrointestinal tract infection. Distinguishing these hypotheses is difficult in women. In men, autoinoculation is unlikely and heterosexual men frequently perform oral sex, but rarely participate in receptive anal exposure behaviors., Methods: We enrolled high-risk men with and without nongonococcal urethritis who presented to a sexually transmitted infection clinic in Indianapolis, Indiana. Urine and rectal swabs were collected and tested for urogenital and rectal CT, Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG), and Mycoplasma genitalium (MG). Men completed surveys concerning symptoms, sexual orientation, and detailed recent and lifetime oral and anal sexual behaviors., Results: Rectal CT was detected in 2/84 (2.4%) heterosexual men who reported cunnilingus, but no lifetime receptive anal behaviors. All of the men who denied receptive anal behaviors were negative for rectal NG and MG. In homosexual and bisexual men, rectal CT prevalence was high (9.7%), and rectal NG (4.8%) and MG (4.8%) were also detected., Conclusions: We detected rectal CT infections in heterosexual men who reported cunnilingus but denied receptive anal behaviors. Oral sex may be a risk factor for rectal CT infection via oral inoculation of the gastrointestinal tract.

Many scholars and practitioners have advocated for a more ecological approach to sexual health promotion for adolescents, such as one that includes involvement from schools, parents, and community organizations. Although extensive research has been conducted with schools and parents, little is known about the roles community-based organizations (CBOs) may play in the education and promotion of sexual health to young people. This study aimed to (a) identify the types of sexual health and sexuality-related questions asked by youth and programming/services, resources, and referrals currently being provided by CBOs; (b) explore the approaches used by CBOs when developing and implementing sexual health promotion programs; and (c) compare these findings with those from a similar study on school teachers, counselors, and nurses within the same state. Data collected from 169 people working in CBOs indicate that a wide variety of topics were covered by CBOs through programming and services, resources, and/or referral protocols. Topics covered varied in frequency. Overall, participants indicated a relatively comprehensive and accessible approach to providing sexuality information to youth. The results of this study suggest that CBOs should be included in the range of sources to be used for comprehensive sexual health promotion. If such organizations are supported with information, training, and resources, they could play a valuable role in the promotion of sexual health for adolescents.

Sexual compulsivity has been associated with higher frequencies of sexual behaviors that may increase risk for transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STI). In a rural midwestern region where social and community resources for the sexual health of men who have sex with men (MSM) are relatively few, the patterns of partner-seeking and sexual behavior, and their relations to sexual compulsivity, may be different than findings from other assessments of men in urban centers. Using a community-based participatory approach (CBPR), data were collected from 309 men who were primarily white, identified as gay or homosexual, and had a mean age of 29.37 years (SD = 11.33), to explore relations between scores on a measure of sexual compulsivity and their sexual partner-seeking, drug and alcohol use, and sexual behaviors with men and women. The majority of men reported having engaged in sexual activity with men in the past 30 days. Those scoring higher than the sample mean (1.65 [SD = 0.66]) on the sexual compulsivity measure reported patterns of having sex with partners met online and having been the insertive or receptive partner in unprotected anal intercourse. Given the unique patterns of sexual partner-seeking in this area, interventions to decrease sexual risk-taking should take into account that the vast majority of men in rural areas are using the Internet to locate sexual partners, and prevention messages focused on rural contexts need to be tailored to include men who have a propensity for sexually compulsive behaviors. Additionally, interventions created for virtual spaces may be more sustainable with rural communities than traditional approaches to HIV/STI prevention.

Among men who have sex with men (MSM), sexual compulsivity has been associated with higher frequencies of sexual behaviors that may increase risk for transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STI). In a Midwestern region where social and community resources for MSM are relatively diffuse, the patterns of partner-seeking and sexual behavior, and their relations to sexual compulsivity, may be different than findings from most other assessments of men in large urban areas. Using a community-based participatory approach (CBPR) and a cross-sectional survey, quantitative data were collected between November 2006 and January 2007 from 504 men related to sexual compulsivity, sexual partner-seeking, and sexual behavior. We sought to explore sexual behaviors in venues where men reported meeting sexual partners, based on their level of compulsivity. Venues that could be characterized as "sexualized" were better predictors of higher sexual compulsivity scores among men than those that are "social" in nature. Men who were higher in compulsivity reported patterns of saturating sexualized venues in order to find sexual partners. Given the unique patterns of sexual partner-seeking in this area, interventions to decrease sexual risk-taking should take into account that men who have a higher propensity for sexual compulsivity are visiting multiple venues, and prevention messages need to be tailored to be consistent across these contexts. In addition, these may need to be differentially designed based on the specific environment in which they are to be delivered.