Abstract
Parent–child communication about sex and relationships can protect adolescents from risky sexual behaviors, but few studies investigate how family talk may change over the course of development from adolescence to emerging adulthood. This current study uses thematic analysis to explore continuity and change in perceived talk with parents about sex and relationships, following a United States sample of 15 adolescent participants over three time points: early adolescence (age 13–14), middle adolescence (age 15–16), and emerging adulthood (age 20–21). Analyses addressed participants’ experiences of talk with parents about sex and relationships (comfort, engagement) and the content of talk: dating and relationships, pregnancy and parenting, protection, STIs, and sexual behavior. Findings show that family communication about sex and relationships extends from early adolescence to emerging adulthood, but changes in content to reflect shifts in adolescent and emerging adult development. Further, while positive engagement and comfort with talk about sex remain relatively high over time, participants’ discomfort and negative engagement appear to increase, highlighting challenges for ongoing family communication. These findings suggest a meaningful, ongoing role for parents in family communication about sex and relationships as their children develop, and suggest some opportunities and challenges that parents may face through this process.
Highlights
Talk with parents about sex can protect early (10–13 years old) and middle (14–17 years old) adolescents from risky sexual behaviors and is associated with delayed sex and use of protection among sexually active teens [1,2]
Initial studies suggest that the protective effects of family talk about sex during adolescence may extend into emerging adulthood [3,4], but few studies assess family talk about sex during this period
The current study provides a unique longitudinal qualitative exploration of young people’s perceptions of communication with their parents about sex and relationships from early adolescence to middle adolescence to emerging adulthood
Summary
Talk with parents about sex can protect early (10–13 years old) and middle (14–17 years old) adolescents from risky sexual behaviors and is associated with delayed sex and use of protection among sexually active teens [1,2]. Initial studies suggest that the protective effects of family talk about sex during adolescence may extend into emerging adulthood [3,4], but few studies assess family talk about sex during this period. Pivotal changes in young people’s engagement with romantic relationships and sex and with parental relationships during adolescence and emerging adulthood highlight the need to understand family communication about sex and relationships in a dynamic way. Few studies longitudinally assess adolescents’ talk with their parents and no studies qualitatively investigate family talk about sex from early adolescence to emerging adulthood. The current study provides a unique longitudinal qualitative exploration of young people’s perceptions of communication with their parents about sex and relationships from early adolescence to middle adolescence to emerging adulthood
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