Differences in the sexual health information parents/guardians give their adolescent sexual minority sons by outness

Abstract

Parents and guardians are a potentially valuable source of sexual health information for adolescent sexual minority males (ASMM). The current study examines what sexual health topics ASMM report discussing with a parent/guardian and whether topics differ by outness about sexual attraction to other males. ASMM (N = 154; ages 14–17) in the United States completed the baseline of an online sexual health intervention pilot in 2020. They reported which of twelve sexual health topics they discussed with a parent/guardian and if they had disclosed their sexual attraction to other males. Associations between topics discussed and outness to a parent/guardian were examined with Firth logistic regression. Eighty-eight (57%) participants reported being out to a parent/guardian. Six sexual health topics were significantly more likely to be discussed if participants were out. The three categories with the largest differences by outness were how to: discuss with a partner what they would not like to do sexually (aOR = 7.0, 95% CI: 2.0–24.6), use condoms (aOR = 5.9, 95% CI: 2.3–15.1), and prevent HIV/AIDS (aOR = 3.5, 95% CI = 1.4–8.7). Interventions on parental/guardian provision of sexual health information are needed to ensure ASMM receive relevant sexual health knowledge.