Understanding the role of family on sexual-risk decisions of young women: A systematic review

Abstract

Girls and young women are at high risk of infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Many research studies suggest that the family plays an important role in young women's sexual-risk decisions. We conducted a systematic review of qualitative research studies to understand how and to what extent the family influences young women's sexual-risk decisions and sexual-risk behaviour. Systematic literature searches were carried out on eight electronic databases, relevant websites and references of reviews on the topic. Eleven qualitative studies were included in the synthesis. We identified seven major themes across the studies and categorised the themes into three main areas: (1) dynamics of family processes; (2) parental attitudes towards sexuality and gender and (3) daughters' internalisation of parental attitudes. The findings suggest scope for future research and development of HIV interventions for young women. Future qualitative studies in non-western contexts that focus on other family members other than parents would be beneficial to fill gaps in the research.