Sexual Communication and Attitudes toward Sexual and Reproductive Health of Parent-Adolescent Dyads

Abstract

Background: Clear parent-adolescent communication about issues relating to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) has been shown to be crucial in preventing sexual risk taking and delaying sexual initiation of adolescents. Aim: This study aimed to examine how often such communication occurs in the Indian context, and the nature of this communication. It also sought to explore attitudes of parents and their adolescents toward issues relating to SRH. Methods: Ten parent-adolescent dyads from two urban Indian cities participated in the study. Each parent and their adolescent (ages 13 to 21 years) were interviewed separately using a semi-structured interview developed for the purpose of the present study. Thematic analysis was utilised to analyse the responses obtained from the interviews. Results: Analysis revealed two domains: themes related to sexual communication between parents and adolescents and themes related to attitudes toward SRH. The paper discusses the themes along with participants’ responses, and compares the findings with similar researches conducted in India and across the world. Conclusion: Open communication among urban Indian parents and adolescents about SRH issues is low, even though both groups highlight the importance of having sexual communication and provision of education to adolescents.