Finding the "community" in community-level HIV/AIDS interventions: Formative research with young African American men who have sex with men

Data from 76 qualitative interviews with 18- to 29-year-old African America n men who have sex with men (MSM) in Chicago and Atlanta were examined to i dentify perceptions of "communily" and components of a community-level HIV/ AIDS intervention. Many men reported feeling marginal to African American a nd gay White communities because of perceived homophobia and racism. Those who reported feeling part of gay African American communities characterized communities in terms of settings, social structures, and functions, includ ing social support, socialization, and mobility. Despite these positive fun ctions, divisions among groups of MSM, lack of settings for nonsexual inter action with other MSM, lack of leadership, and negative attitudes toward ho mosexuality may make it difficult for men to participate in activities to a lter community contexts that influence behavior. Rather, changing norms, in creasing social support, and community building should be part of initial c ommunity-level interventions. Community building might identify leaders, cr eate new settings, and create opportunities for dialogue between MSM and Af rican American community groups to address negative perceptions of homosexu ality.