Parents' Perspectives on Family Sexuality Communication from Middle School to High School.

Jennifer M Grossman,Lisa J Jenkins,Amanda M Richer

doi:10.3390/ijerph15010107

Abstract

Parents’ conversations with teens about sex and relationships can play a critical role in improving teenage reproductive health by reducing teens’ risky sexual behavior. However, little is known about how teen-parent communication changes from early to middle adolescence and how parents can tailor their communication to address their teens’ changing development and experiences during these periods. In this longitudinal qualitative study, U.S. parents (N = 23) participated in interviews when their teens were in early adolescence, then again when the teens were in middle adolescence. Participants were largely mothers and were from diverse racial/ethnic and educational backgrounds. Thematic analysis was used to assess continuity and change in parents’ perceptions of teen-parent communication. Findings showed that many parents adapted their conversations with their teens about sex and relationships as teens developed. Once teens had entered high school, more parents described feeling comfortable with their conversations. However, parents also more often reported that their teens responded negatively to the communication in high school than they had in middle school. These findings may help parents to anticipate their own as well as their teens’ responses to family conversations about sex at different developmental time points and to strategize how to effectively talk with their teens about sex and relationships to improve their teens’ overall reproductive health.

Highlights

Teens’ risky sexual behaviors, such as early sex, sex without a condom and having multiple partners have negative health outcomes [1]
Developmental level is important as teens transition from early to middle adolescence, as youth experience rapid developmental change in identity, sexuality and relationships during this time period [9]
Despite the need for developmentally appropriate family conversations about sex and the challenges parents face in achieving this goal, with few exceptions [12] little research assesses family sexuality communication over the transition from early

Summary

Introduction

Teens’ risky sexual behaviors, such as early sex, sex without a condom and having multiple partners have negative health outcomes [1]. Conversations about sex and relationships provide one way to improve teen reproductive health by reducing teens’ sexual risk behavior [5,6]; teen-parent conversations about sex are only effective at reducing teens’ risk behavior when parents’ match their messages about sex with their teen’s developmental level and sexual experience [7,8]. Under-estimation of their teens’ sexual behavior [10], which may make it difficult for parents’ to effectively address teens’ developmental needs and could prevent teens from obtaining knowledge they need to reduce their sexual risk behavior [11]. Despite the need for developmentally appropriate family conversations about sex and the challenges parents face in achieving this goal, with few exceptions [12] little research assesses family sexuality communication over the transition from early (11–14) to middle adolescence (15–17)

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion