“Sex is Bad, Sex is Bad, Sex is Bad”: Black Immigrant Women Living in the US and their Report of Conversations with their Mothers about Sex

Abstract

Communication about sex between mothers and daughters is important when preparing adolescents for adulthood. Yet, Black immigrant mothers are more reluctant to discuss sex related topics with their daughters, possibly motivated by discomfort, feeling ill-prepared, or the culturally taboo nature of such conversations. Despite the documented health disparity, the extant literature regarding sexual and reproductive health among Black immigrant women remains insufficient. The study will explore the narratives of Black adult immigrant daughters, their retrospective report of what their mothers told them about sex, and how these messages impacted them in adulthood. Findings indicate that daughters felt that their mothers used fear to deter them from having premarital sex but did not directly educate them about sex. Daughters also felt that their lack of knowledge about sex negatively impacted them as adults. Clinical implications are provided.