“Knowing That You’re Pleasing the Other Person Makes It Even Better”: Perceived Pleasure and Motives for Condom Use among Heterosexual Black College Men in the South

Sexual health requires a holistic approach which includes sexual pleasure. Black men are often stereotyped as hypersexual with a disease research focus. This sex-positive study examined definitions of pleasure and condom use motives of heterosexual Black college men in the South. We conducted three focus groups at three universities. Four themes emerged: dimensions of pleasure, mutual pleasure, pleasure and relationship status, and condom use motives. Participants highlighted intimacy aiding in physical pleasure and emphasized using condoms even with decreased pleasure. More research is needed around young Black men and pleasure to shift negative narratives associated with their sexuality.