Abstract
Introduction
Parent-child sexual communication (PCSC) has been found to be an important predicting factor for later sexual health. This paper explored the topics, values, and communication styles of PCSC, and emerging adults’ suggestions for improving PCSC.
Method
The current study utilized data collected from focus groups conducted in 2012 with 38 college-aged emerging adults (50% female) who reported previously having sexual intercourse regarding their memories of PCSC.
Results
The findings show that the most salient topics discussed during PCSC were the adolescents’ sexual history/activity, birth control/contraceptives, abstinence or delaying sex, and parents’ personal experiences. Participants reported communication characterized by infrequent and one-sided conversations dominated by the parent. They also reported that parents tended to communicate accepting values (parental acknowledgement or acceptance that their children would likely be sexually active in adolescence) during PCSC. Finally, participants’ most common suggestion for improvement was to have supportive and open PCSC where children can go to their parents for information and support regardless of their sexual decisions. Gender differences arose across multiple subthemes.
Conclusions
Parents are rarely discussing in-depth sexual health topics in an open manner. There are multiple areas in which parents can improve when discussing sexuality with their children.
Policy Implications
Funding for parent-targeted programming should be allocated to help parents be more effective sex educators in the home by improving PCSC quality. Comprehensive sex education should be provided for students in schools to help supplement the sexual values they learn at home when parents do not provide sexual health information.
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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. The study was approved by The Texas State Institutional Review Board (No. 2012C977).
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Astle, S., McAllister, P., Emanuels, S. et al. Just Be Open About It or Turn Up the Radio: A Qualitative Analysis of Parent-Child Sexual Communication Experiences in Adolescence. Sex Res Soc Policy 19, 133–146 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13178-020-00530-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13178-020-00530-1