’Our only resource’: Perspectives and recommendations of rural african american youth on adapting sexual health and risk reduction interventions

Recent studies have documented disproportionately high rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), HIV, and births among adolescents in rural areas of the United States. Despite this, the majority of sexual health education programs and interventions were developed for adolescents in metropolitan areas, and may not be appropriate or relevant for rural youth. The present study investigates the perspectives of 73 African American youth in rural Georgia who participated in a cognitive- behavioral intervention to reduce sexual risk behaviors, in an effort to understand how the intervention and ones similar to it may be tailored to better meet the needs of rural adolescents. Findings highlight the importance of incorporating diverse teaching and recruitment strategies into interventions when delivering them to rural youth, as well as the need to expand education and risk reduction efforts. Additional research is warranted to understand better how to meet the sexual health education needs of rural youth.