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The Other Half of the Equation: Serving Young Men In a Young Women's Reproductive Health Clinic
Author(s) -
Raine Tina,
Marcell Arik V.,
Rocca Corinne H.,
Harper Cynthia C.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
perspectives on sexual and reproductive health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.818
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1931-2393
pISSN - 1538-6341
DOI - 10.1363/3520803
Subject(s) - outreach , reproductive health , family medicine , context (archaeology) , medicine , family planning , gerontology , descriptive statistics , young adult , demography , population , environmental health , sociology , political science , law , research methodology , paleontology , statistics , mathematics , biology
CONTEXT Efforts to improve reproductive health typically target women. Family planning agencies serving high‐risk young women may be particularly suited to integrating young men in their health promotion efforts.METHODS In 2001, a family planning clinic in San Francisco serving primarily young women opened a male clinic as part of a male involvement program that includes education and outreach components. Client volume was assessed by reviewing billing data. New male clients completed questionnaires on their demographic characteristics, sexual and health‐seeking behavior, and reason for clinic visit. Before and after the male clinic opened, female clients completed questionnaires assessing their satisfaction with services and their attitudes on males' being served at the clinic. Data were analyzed by using descriptive and chi‐square statistics.RESULTS In the first year of the male clinic, the number of adolescent and adult male clients served at the facility increased by 192% and 119%, respectively, over the previous year. Among 110 males making first visits, 88% came for sexually transmitted disease testing or treatment. Three‐quarters had learned of the clinic by word of mouth–from a sexual partner (37%), friend (29%) or sibling (6%)–rather than directly from outreach efforts. The proportion of female respondents very or mostly satisfied with their care was similarly high before (98%) and after (92%) the male clinic opened.CONCLUSIONS Increasing capacity within the female reproductive health model to serve males is feasible. To reach at‐risk males, “in‐reach” efforts with female clients may be as important as targeted outreach efforts. Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 2003, 35(5):208‐214.