Building Resilience in Young Black Males: Determining the Factors that Lead to Success for Black Men in America

It is no secret that Black men have struggled over the years to obtain the same level of high earning financial success as their White counterparts. Black men face an incredible challenge with regard to educational obtainment, career success, and physical health. Black men are often revered as the most dangerous, least educated, and more unhealthy than any other race or gender. This must change. This researcher investigated the lives of eight successful Black men with the hope of determining how they were able to attain their success. The findings of this research suggest that there are several factors that are key contributors in becoming a successful Black man in America. With a greater understanding of how Black men have managed to gain success, despite the obstacles they have faced, it is hopeful that this research will help other Black men reach the level of success that is often desired and seldom realized.

Sexual Sensation Seeking, Alcohol Use, and Risky Sexual Behavior Among Men Who Have Sex With Men

Men who have sex with men (MSM) remain most at risk for developing HIV infection. The best prevention in this population is to identify risk factors associated with unprotected sex. Recent research suggests that sexual sensation seeking (SSS) and level of average drinking moderates the relationship between drinking alcohol in the context of sex and risky sexual behavior in a young MSM population (ages 16-20). Current study is an exploratory analysis using multilevel modeling to examine if these results are consistent across a MSM population with a wider range of ages who are also heavy drinkers. Participants (n = 181) included MSM (ages 18-75 years) from a longitudinal clinical research trial. Results indicate that MSM with higher SSS were more likely to have unprotected anal sex if they drank alcohol 3 hours prior to sex than those who did not, (OR = 1.07; 95% CI: 1.03 – 1.12). There was no significant interaction effect for average levels of drinking.