Skip to main content

Parental Monitoring, Parent–Adolescent Communication About Sex, and Sexual Risk Among Young Men Who Have Sex with Men

AIDS and Behavior volume 18, pages 1604–1614 (2014)Cite this article

Abstract

Parental monitoring and parent–adolescent communication about sex protect against HIV-related sexual risk behaviors among heterosexual adolescents, but it is unknown if these findings generalize to young men who have sex with men (YMSM). Sexual orientation-specific stressors, including “coming out” to parents, complicate the family context of YMSM. We examined associations between parental monitoring, communication about sex, outness to cohabitating parents, and sexual behaviors. Ethnically diverse YMSM ages 14–19 provided cross-sectional data (n = 257). Monitoring and outness to parents interacted to predict recent same-sex unprotected anal intercourse (UAI). For YMSM who reported mixed or uncertain outness to parents, higher levels of perceived parental monitoring were associated with greater risk of UAI. Higher levels of communication about sex were associated with greater risk of UAI for YMSM out to parents. Parental monitoring and communication about sex might not protect YMSM against sexual risk in the same way they protect heterosexual youth. Future research should examine whether adapted forms of family factors could protect YMSM, and family-based HIV risk-reduction interventions for YMSM should be attuned to the unique ways family factors function within this group.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

43,34 €

Price includes VAT (Finland)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Fig. 1

Notes

  1. To ensure it was appropriate to collapse YMSM who reported uncertain parent knowledge (i.e., parents who probably, but did not definitely, know) with YMSM who reported mixed parent knowledge into one group, we conducted analyses to determine if these groups differed significantly, and to examine whether primary study effects differed between these groups. To do this, we selected participants falling into these groups and dichotomized parental knowledge as mixed knowledge (n = 24) versus uncertain knowledge (n = 35). No significant differences were found among these two outness groups on mean levels of primary study variables or in estimating the associations between those variables.

References

  1. CDC. HIV in the United States. CDC 2011. http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/resources/factsheets/PDF/us.pdf. Accessed 17 Feb 2014.

  2. Prejean J, Song R, Hernandez A, Ziebell R, Green T, Walker F, et al. Estimated HIV incidence in the United States, 2006–2009. PLoS ONE. 2011;6(8):e17502.

    CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  3. CDC. HIV/AIDS among youth. Atlanta: Centers for Disease Control; 2008.

    Google Scholar 

  4. CDC. HIV/AIDS and young men who have sex with men. Atlanta: US Department of Health and Human Services: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2009.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Valleroy LA, MacKellar DA, Karon JM, Rosen DH, McFarland W, Shehan DA, et al. HIV prevalence and associated risks in young men who have sex with men. JAMA. 2000;284(2):198–204.

    CAS  PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Mustanski B, Garofalo R, Herrick A, Donenberg G. Psychosocial health problems increase risk for HIV among urban young men who have sex with men: preliminary evidence of a syndemic in need of attention. Ann Behav Med. 2007;34(1):37–45.

    PubMed Central  PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Garofalo R, Mustanski B, Donenberg G. Parents know and parents matter; Is it time to develop family-based HIV prevention programs for young men who have sex with men? J Adolesc Health. 2008;43(2):201–4.

    PubMed Central  PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Bouris A, Guilamo-Ramos V, Pickard A, Shiu C, Loosier PS, Dittus P, et al. A systematic review of parental influences on the health and well-being of lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth: time for a new public health research and practice agenda. J Prim Prev. 2010;31(5–6):273–309.

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Markham CM, Lormand D, Gloppen KM, Peskin MF, Flores B, Low B, et al. Connectedness as a predictor of sexual and reproductive health outcomes for youth. J Adolesc Health. 2010;46(3 Suppl):S23–41.

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Buhi ER, Goodson P. Predictors of adolescent sexual behavior and intention: a theory-guided systematic review. J Adolesc Health. 2007;40(1):4–21.

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Hadley W, Brown LK, Lescano CM, Kell H, Spalding K, DiClemente R, et al. Parent–adolescent sexual communication: associations of condom use with condom discussions. AIDS Behav. 2009;13(5):997–1004.

    PubMed Central  PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Ryan C, Huebner D, Diaz RM, Sanchez J. Family rejection as a predictor of negative health outcomes in white and latino lesbian, gay, and bisexual young adults. Pediatrics. 2009;123(1):346–52.

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  13. D’Augelli AR, Hershberger SL, Pilkington NW. Lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth and their families: disclosure of sexual orientation and its consequences. Am J Orthopsychiatry. 1998;68(3):361–71.

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Saltzburg S. Learning that an adolescent child is gay or lesbian: the parent experience. Soc Work. 2004;49(1):109–18.

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Floyd FJ, Stein TS, Harter KSM, Allison A, Nye CL. Gay, lesbian, and bisexual youths: separation-individuation, parental attitudes, identity consolidation, and well-being. J Youth Adolesc. 1999;28(6):719–39.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Savin-Williams RC, Ream GL. Sex variations in the disclosure to parents of same-sex attractions. J Fam Psychol. 2003;17(3):429–38.

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Racz SJ, McMahon RJ. The relationship between parental knowledge and monitoring and child and adolescent conduct problems: a 10-year update. Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev. 2011;14(4):377–98.

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Han W-J, Miller DP, Waldfogel J. Parental work schedules and adolescent risky behaviors. Dev Psychol. 2010;46(5):1245–67.

    PubMed Central  PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Coley RL, Votruba-Drzal E, Schindler HS. Fathers’ and mothers’ parenting predicting and responding to adolescent sexual risk behaviors. Child Dev. 2009;80(3):808–27.

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Donenberg GR, Pao M. Youths and HIV/AIDS: psychiatry’s role in a changing epidemic. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2005;44(8):728–47.

    PubMed Central  PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  21. O’Donnell L, Argronick G, San Doval A, Duran R, Myint-U A, Stueve A. Ethnic and gay community attachments and sexual risk behaviors among urban latino young men who have sex with men. AIDS Educ Prev. 2002;14(6):457–71.

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Savin-Williams RC. Lesbian, gay, and bisexual youths’ relationships with their parents. In: Garnets LD, Kimmel DC, editors. Psychological perspectives on lesbian, gay, and bisexual experiences. New York: Columbia University Press; 2003. p. 299–326.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Saltzburg S. Narrative therapy pathways for re-authoring with parents of adolescents coming-out as lesbian, gay, and bisexual. Contemp Fam Ther. 2007;29(1):57–69.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Guilamo-Ramos V, Bouris A, Lee J, McCarthy K, Michael SL, Pitt-Barnes S, et al. Paternal influences on adolescent sexual risk behaviors: a structured literature review. Pediatrics. 2012;15:2012.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Heatherington L, Lavner JA. Coming to terms with coming out: review and recommendations for family systems-focused research. J Fam Psychol. 2008;22(3):329–43.

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Kerns KA, Aspelmeier JE, Gentzler AL, Grabill CM. Parent-child attachment and monitoring in middle childhood. J Fam Psychol. 2001;15(1):69–81.

    CAS  PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Raffaelli M, Bogenschneider K, Flood MF. Parent-teen communication about sexual topics. J Fam Issues. 1998;19(3):315–33.

    CAS  PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Supple AJ, Aquilino WS, Wright DL. Collecting sensitive self-report data with laptop computers: impact on the response tendencies. J Res Adolesc (Lawrence Erlbaum). 1999;9(4):467.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Turner CF, Ku L, Sonenstein FL, Pleck JH. Impact of ACASI on reporting of male–male sexual contacts: preliminary results from the 1995 National Survey of Adolescent Males. Hyattsville: National Center for Health Statistics; 1996 Contract No.: DHHS Pub. No. (PHS) 96-1013.

  30. Loeber R, Farrington DP, Stouthamer-Loeber M, Van Kammen WB. Antisocial behavior and mental health problems: explanatory factors in childhood and adolescence. New York: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates; 1998.

    Google Scholar 

  31. Somers CL, Canivez GL. The sexual communication scale: a measure of frequency of sexual communication between parents and adolescents. Adolescence. 2003;38(149):43–56.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Harris KM, Halpern CT, Whitsel E, Hussey J, Tabor J, Entzel P, et al. The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health: Research Design. 2009. http://www.cpc.unc.edu/projects/addhealth/design. Accessed 17 Feb 2014.

  33. Aiken L, West S. Multiple regression: testing and interpreting interactions. Newbury Park: Sage; 1990.

    Google Scholar 

  34. Stattin H, Kerr M. Parental monitoring: a reinterpretation. Child Dev. 2000;71(4):1072–85.

    CAS  PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Darling N, Cumsille P, Caldwell L, Dowdy B. Predictors of adolescents’ disclosure to parents and perceived parental knowledge: between- and within-person differences. J Youth Adolesc. 2006;35(4):659–70.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. DiIorio C, Pluhar E, Belcher L. Parent–child communication about sexuality: a review of the literature from 1980–2002. J HIV/AIDS Prev Educ Adolesc Child. 2003;5(3/4):7–32.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Somers CL, Paulson SE. Students’ perceptions of parent–adolescent closeness and communication about sexuality: relations with sexual knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. J Adolesc. 2000;23(5):629–44.

    CAS  PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  38. Wilson HW, Donenberg G. Quality of parent communication about sex and its relationship to risky sexual behavior among youth in psychiatric care: a pilot study. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2004;45(2):387–95.

    PubMed Central  PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  39. LaSala MC. Parental influence, gay youths, and safer sex. Health Soc Work. 2007;32(1):49–55.

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  40. Clawson CL, Reese-Weber M. The amount and timing of parent-adolescent sexual communication as predictors of late adolescent sexual risk-taking behaviors. J Sex Res. 2003;40(3):256–65.

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  41. Pardini DA. Novel insights into longstanding theories of bidirectional parent–child influences: introduction to the special section. J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2008;36(5):627–31.

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  42. Ryan C, Russell ST, Huebner D, Diaz R, Sanchez J. Family acceptance in adolescence and the health of LGBT young adults. J Child Adolesc Psychiatr Nurs. 2010;23(4):205–13.

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by Grants MH098739 and MH072381 from the National Institute of Mental Health. The authors would like to acknowledge Jordan Rullo, Jennifer Pritchard, and Karen Wohlleiter for their efforts in study coordination, as well as Laura Vaughn, Lida Rogers, Trevor Wright, and William Brown for their assistance with data collection. We are grateful to the Attic Youth Center, BAGLY, Indiana Youth Group, and SMAAC for their cooperation in housing the project. In addition, the authors would like to acknowledge the contributions of Cynthia Berg to the manuscript. This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board at the University of Utah.

Author information

Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Utah, 380 South 1530 East, Room 502, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112-0251, USA

    Brian C. Thoma & David M. Huebner

Authors
  1. Brian C. Thoma
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. David M. Huebner
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Brian C. Thoma.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Thoma, B.C., Huebner, D.M. Parental Monitoring, Parent–Adolescent Communication About Sex, and Sexual Risk Among Young Men Who Have Sex with Men. AIDS Behav 18, 1604–1614 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-014-0717-z

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-014-0717-z

Keywords

  • YMSM
  • Adolescent sexual risk
  • Parental monitoring
  • Communication about sex
  • Coming out