Community town halls engaged 124 participants, with 93% of surveyed attendees highly rating the events for discussing sexual health and survivorship among Black prostate cancer survivors.
Community town halls are a feasible and culturally relevant strategy to engage Black prostate cancer survivors in discussions about survivorship and sexual health.
Absolute Event Rate: 0% vs 0%
Abstract Background: Prostate cancer (CaP) is among the most common cancers in U.S. men, with Black men experiencing a 1.7-fold higher incidence and nearly twice the mortality rate compared with non-Hispanic White men. While early detection has improved survival, differences remain in recovery and quality of life (QoL). Sexual dysfunction after treatment affects identity, relationships, and well-being, yet stigma, cultural norms, and limited access to patient-centered care prevent open discussion. Few initiatives address the intersection of identity, stigma, and survivorship in this population. Community town halls provide a trusted, culturally responsive space for shared learning, peer connection, and open dialogue on survivorship and sexual health. Methods: Two community-engaged CaP town halls were convened by the Multidisciplinary Health Outcomes Research and Economics (MORE) Lab at the University of Oklahoma Health Campus (OUHC) to explore survivorship issues among Black CaP survivors. The first, held virtually in June 2024, included watch parties in Georgia and Texas. The second, in November 2024, was hybrid, hosted at OUHC and via Teams with a watch party at the Willa D. Johnson Recreation Center, a community center in Oklahoma City. Panelists included oncologists, psychologists, survivors, partners, and Community Advisory Board members. Both town halls featured survivor storytelling, provider Q 13.7%) provided demographic and satisfaction data; remaining insights came from all participants who engaged in open dialogue. Respondents ranged in age from 19-76 years (mean=48.7 ± 21.8). Of the 17 respondents, 93% rated the events as very good or excellent; 23.5% were CaP survivors, all identifying as Black. Five themes emerged: (1) Masculinity, stigma, and silence limit help-seeking; (2) Sexual dysfunction and identity loss cause major emotional burdens; (3) Navigation challenges highlight systemic barriers; (4) Spousal and psychological support aid coping; and (5) Survivorship empowerment. Participants valued hearing “real stories from real men,” validating their experiences. Conclusions: Community town halls are a feasible and culturally relevant strategy to engage Black CaP survivors in survivorship and sexual health discussions. By centering lived experiences and facilitating two-way communication between survivors, clinicians, and researchers, these events build trust and reduce stigma. Future work will assess changes in knowledge, engagement, and confidence in care navigation and explore scaling this community-academic model to improve survivorship QoL. Citation Format: Parisa Ghasemi, Gaurav Kumar, Ernest T. Kaninjing, Adanma Ayanambakkam, Yaw A. Nyame, Amy Siston, Jordan M. Neil, Adam C. Alexander, Andrew G. McIntosh, Yan Zhao, Zsolt Nagykaldi, Kathleen A. Dwyer, Mary Ellen Young, Sabrina Dickey, Daniel Morton, Opeyemi Bolajoko, Darla E. Kendzor, Motolani E. Ogunsanya. Survivorship and sexual health: What we learned from Black men in community town halls abstract. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2026; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2026 Apr 17-22; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2026;86(7 Suppl):Abstract nr 2483.
Ghasemi et al. (Fri,) reported a other. Community town halls engaged 124 participants, with 93% of surveyed attendees highly rating the events for discussing sexual health and survivorship among Black prostate cancer survivors.