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Experiences of Pleasure & Satisfaction in a Sample of Young Black Same-Gender Loving Men (YBSGLM)
Methods: We recruited 45 urban YBSGLM (age 15-19) from clinics, venues, Internet (Jack’d), and snowball sampling to complete a baseline 90-minute, semi-structured interview in order to understand concepts of sexual pleasure/satisfaction during first same-sex penetrative experiences (FSSPE). Interviews were transcribed and analyzed using inductive open-coding to develop major themes.
Results: Mean age was 17.9 yrs (SD 1.9). Most (N=30, 68%) identified as gay. Median number of partners in the prior 6 months was 3.6 (range 0 - 32). Most (57%, N=24) described being extremely or very physically satisfied during first sex and 48% (n = 22) experienced an orgasm. Positive expectation of sex and three specific factors emerged around whether the experience was pleasurable: partner (partner type, physical aspects [penis size], attractiveness/emotional connection to partner), contextual (marijuana use before sex (relaxation), location, relationship status) and physical mechanism of sex (condom/lubrication use and position (top/bottom)). Youth used pleasure to validate sexuality, gain sexual experience and for sexual-role clarification.
Conclusions: This work highlights that pleasure may be critical for young men to sort through developmentally important aspects of sexual development and the complexity of pleasure in early sexual experiences. Further work should explore the impact of those experiences on future behavior in order to support healthy sexual decision-making and design public health strategies that reduce risk for HIV among YBSGLM.
Learning Areas:
Public health or related researchSocial and behavioral sciences
Learning Objectives:
Describe the multidimensional factors that contribute to pleasure during first same-sex penetrative experiences of an urban sample of young black same-gender loving men
Keyword(s): Adolescents, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT)
Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been the principal or co-principal on multiple federally funded grants focused on the sexual development and risk prevention of black gay and bisexual adolescent men and other men who have sex with men.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.