Sex information given to Latina adolescents by parents

Abstract
This study explores Latina adolescents' perceptions of how much their parents told them about sexuality as it relates to sexual behavior. Two groups of Latina adolescents, one never pregnant (N = 40) and one pregnant or parenting (N = 43), were interviewed by phone about their communication with parents regarding sexuality. Latina adolescents who reported receiving more information from their parents about sexuality were less likely to be pregnant. Other predictors of not being pregnant were having an intact family, having an older age at menarche, being younger and having a more positive attitude toward school. Of five major sexual topics, Latina adolescents reported receiving the least information from their parents about birth control. Implications for training Latino parents to communicate more openly with their children about sexuality are discussed.