Exploring What Influences Heterosexual College Men and the Practice of Safe Sex: The Power of Stigma and Community.

The college student population is among the highest risk group for contracting sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as gonorrhea, chlamydia, and HIV. Safe sex practices, which are intended to mitigate risks associated with sexually transmitted infections, are often negated in the population of heterosexual college students. Historically, research on safe sex practices has shown that the burden of behavior change and the focus on educational efforts historically fall onto the female population. There is little published on how safe sex education for males impacts attitudes and behaviors towards safe sex practices. This community-based participatory research (CBPR) project explored heterosexual college male attitudes and behaviors about safe sex responsibilities with the goal of creating effective health promotion messages to increase safer sex. The research team comprised almost entirely of undergraduate male students, which strengthened the design and translation of results to practice. A mixed methods design was employed utilizing both focus groups and surveys as data collection (n=121). Results showed that young men are still prioritizing pregnancy prevention over disease contraction and/or testing, and relying on female partners to initiate safe sex. Implications for health promotion practice efforts on college campuses include: male-led peer education programming and support and messaging around screening and prevention of STIs.

Creating a Narrative for Change: Health Promotion Students' Perspectives on the Power of Photovoice Research.

The use of Critical Race Theory, Photovoice, and Community-Based Participatory Research has helped uncover the root causes of issues such as systemic racism in the fields of public health and health promotion. Often, we see studies using traditional research methods to investigate potential causal factors of disparities in minoritized communities report only quantitative data. While these data are imperative for understanding the severity of disparities, quantitative-only approaches cannot address nor can they improve the critical root causes of these disparities. As a team of BIPOC graduate students in public health, we conducted a community-based participatory research project using Photovoice methodology to explore inequities in Black and Brown communities exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic. The participatory nature of this research revealed cumulative challenges across the social determinants of health in New Haven and Bridgeport, Connecticut. It allowed us to engage in local-level advocacy to promote health equity as our findings illuminated the need for community-led and community-engaged action. Health and racial inequities cannot be effectively addressed if public health research and programming do not collaborate with the community to build community capacity, empowerment, and trust. We describe our experiences doing community-based participatory research to investigate inequities and provide reflections on their value for public health students. As responses to health inequities and disparities become more politically polarized in the United States, it is critical for public health and health education students to use research methodologies that elevate communities that have been historically marginalized and neglected. Together, we can catalyze equitable change.

Research Engagement in a Virtual World: Strategies for Maintaining the Power and Impact of Photovoice Research Online.

When our photovoice research intersected with the COVID-19 pandemic, we were thrust into a new world of adapting the method in the virtual environment. Between both authors, we had over two decades of experience implementing photovoice. However, that involved tried and true methods of working face to face and side by side with people in community-based settings. This article describes lessons learned from two virtual photovoice projects. One involved pivoting from a project already well underway in person to online and the other was designed for virtual implementation since that was the only option available. Key considerations discussed are navigating our institutional review boards, adapting project management, building community online, and sharing results and advocacy for social change. Dilemmas and key decisions in each of these areas are described for practitioners and community-based researchers who need or seek to transition their photovoice research to the virtual environment. Practical tips and strategies for implementation are described and offered to photovoice researchers.

Continuing the Journey Toward Health Equity: Becoming Antiracist in Health Promotion Research and Practice.

Health education and promotion researchers and practitioners are committed to eliminating health disparities, and the Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) has continuously supported this effort through its journals, professional development, annual conferences, and advocacy. The COVID-19 pandemic elucidated inequities directly caused by racism and other social determinants of health. In order to achieve health equity, we need to become antiracist in our research, practice, and advocacy work by standing united against racist policies and practices. I invite us all to heed the call to action on these five points: place racism on the agenda, practice cultural humility, claim your privilege and eliminate microaggressions, utilize strategies that promote inclusion and equity, and embrace your inner leader and activist. Just as SOPHE as an organization pivoted its annual conference from on ground to virtual in March 2020, so can we be innovative and brave as professionals to face the hard work and dedication needed to become antiracist.

'I don't want to be that guy walking in the feminine product aisle': a Photovoice exploration of college men's perceptions of safer sex responsibility.

Incidence and prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) continue to increase among young heterosexual men and women in the United States. Although research studies examine the reasons why these young people are not engaging in safe sex behavior, many have not explored factors beyond individual behaviors. Much of the current research focuses on young women, for the most part leaving men out of the equation. In this study, a Photovoice methodology was used to examine social norms, media messaging and perceptions of responsibility surrounding safe sex practices, specifically condom use, among male heterosexual undergraduate students. Results showed that college-aged men are still prioritizing pregnancy prevention over disease prevention, which leads to assumptions that their female partners are on birth control and they do not need to use condoms. Participants pointed to media messages and condom placement that supports women's responsibility for safer sex and condom negotiation. Future health promotion research and practice should focus on including men in the design and implementation process to address social norms and increase their sense of responsibility.

"How Should I Be?" A Photovoice Exploration Into Body Image Messaging for Young Women Across Ethnicities and Cultures.

Photovoice, a community-based participatory research method that allows participants to inform research questions in an intimate way, has proven successful with youth. A diverse group of teenage girls living in New York City were asked to take photographs and reflect on what messages they received and from whom, how these messages translate across cultures and ethnicities, and how these messages are internalized and acted on. The group selected specific photographs to discuss together and themes emerged to answer the research questions; themes were reinforced by journal responses and agreed on by the group at the concluding session. The participants identified the media, peers, and family as cultural influencers on body image but noted that these messages change depending on the delivering medium. Participants not only offered recommendations with policy implications for advertising and media giants but also urged public health practitioners, teachers, and other key stakeholders working with young women of color to simply provide them with more space for talking. While Photovoice served as an effective methodology for gaining a more expansive understanding of how body image messages are received with young women of color, the tool should be considered for youth development interventions that take a community-based participatory approach.