Examining the Effect of Maternal Sexual Communication and Adolescents' Perceptions of Maternal Disapproval on Adolescent Risky Sexual Involvement

Abstract

To examine the influence of maternal sexual communication during early adolescence on three adolescent sexual risk behaviors (assessed 5-6 years later) in relation to adolescents' perceptions of maternal disapproval of [their] sexual involvement and contraceptive use. Using data from waves 1 and 3 of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), we distinguish between youth who reported being virgins from those who reported having had sex by the time maternal sexual communication was assessed. Frequency of maternal sexual communication has a significant influence on adolescents' lifetime number of sexual partners, but its effect is moderated by adolescents' perceptions of maternal disapproval of contraceptive use. This relationship holds regardless of whether the adolescent was a virgin or not at the time of the communication. When occurring in the context of adolescent-perceived maternal nondisapproval, greater frequency of maternal sexual communication is associated with a higher likelihood of having multiple sexual partners. Greater frequency of maternal sexual communication was also associated with inconsistent condom use and positive sexually transmitted infection diagnosis among adolescents who were sexually experienced at baseline and who perceived maternal disapproval of contraceptive use. These findings emphasize the need to evaluate the effect of maternal sexual communication on adolescent risky sexual behaviors in relation to the value context of these discussions as well as the sexual status of the adolescent.