Providing Sexually Transmitted Disease Education and Risk Assessment to Disengaged Young Men Through Community Outreach

Abstract

This study describes a community outreach project designed to increase access to reproductive health services to young African American men living in low-income urban neighborhoods. The project examined the effectiveness of providing community-based outreach and health education on increasing sexually transmitted disease (STD) screening. Outreach workers provided STD education and risk assessment in community settings, including street corners, parks, schools, and community centers. Data were recorded on outreach contacts, including client demographics, health education topics covered, and risk assessment results. Outreach workers conducted 9,701 contacts in a 176-week period. Most contacts (89%) were with African Americans, and most (84%) were with young men between 15 and 20 years old. Outreach workers discussed each health education item in their protocol at least 85% of the time and each risk assessment item at least 90% of the time. The majority of contacts (94%) reported being sexually active. Compared with the year prior to the project, actual STD testing of the target population doubled at the project clinics. This study suggests that going beyond traditional clinic-based testing to reach young, disenfranchised males constitutes a promising approach to reducing racial disparities in STD infections.