In their Public Space: A Qualitative Analysis of Young African American Males' Views of Social Media as a Mode for Condom Use Education

African American adolescents, and in particular young African American males (YAAMs), are at the greatest risk for acquiring sexually transmitted infections (STIs)and engaging in risky sexual behavior compared with other minority youth. In some circumstances, these youth do not have access to regular health care or health education. For those reasons, many minority youth lose the ability to receive pertinent information about protecting themselves sexually. Social media has been proposed as a unique way to reach out to this population.;This three manuscript dissertation will:(1)present a synthesis of the existing research on the impact of social media on condom use to influence safer sex behaviors in African American adolescents and more specifically young African American males ages 18-21; (2)examine the current attitudes, norms and perceived controls that are related to the influence of social media on condom use among YAAMs ages 18-21; and (3)determine why social media is useful and how it has influenced the attitude, norms, and perceived control on condom use among YAAMs ages 18-21. In addition, this study examines the potential use of social media as a powerful mechanism to promote sexual health education among this population.;The results of this research indicated that young African American males prefer to use Instagram and Facebook and prefer to learn about sexual health information via YouTube. The participants stated that best way to use social media for this population is for: (1) recruitment; (2) clinical follow up; and (3) for educational and clinical reminders. Overall, participants agreed that social media is a great way to catch their attention and share information (e.g., use of memes and celebrity postings) about risky topics like sexual health and condom use. However, the participants stated that they would prefer to discuss these subjects among each other and within group settings. The findings from this study are significant for nurses, researchers and health providers, and should be used when designing future interventions for behavior change among adolescent populations like young African American males.