3. Impact of Parent-Adolescent Relationship Quality and Sexual Health Communication on Parental Willingness to Support Adolescent Use of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis for HIV: Lessons for Post-Pandemic Sexual Health Interventions

Abstract

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a safe and highly effective method of HIV prevention, yet PrEP use among US adolescents at risk for HIV has been low. Sexual health communication between parents and adolescents has been shown to decrease teen pregnancy and increase condom use, but data are scarce on the impact of communication on PrEP use. We wanted to understand parents’ perspectives on PrEP and the role of parent-adolescent relationship quality and sexual health communication on parents’ willingness to support their adolescent using PrEP (“PrEP willingness”), to inform post-pandemic interventions to improve PrEP uptake among adolescents at risk for HIV.