Parent—Adolescent Communication About Sexual Pressure, Maternal Norms About Relationship Power, and STI/HIV Protective Behaviors of Minority Urban Girls

Abstract

Racial/ethnic minority adolescent girls bear a disproportionate risk for HIV and face barriers to autonomous sexual decision making, but parental messages may help protect against sexual risk taking. The authors examined African American and Hispanic girls' sexually transmitted infection (STI) and HIV prevention practices, parent—adolescent communication about sexual pressure, and maternal gender norms (N = 118). Teens were more likely to practice consistent STI/HIV prevention when mothers talked about partner sexual pressure (p = .017) and fathers talked about resisting partner sexual pressure (p = .034). Sexually active girls who perceived that their mothers held egalitarian beliefs about partner decision making had more consistent condom use (p = .029). Given the context of increased STI/HIV risk, it is critical that parents discuss partner dynamics with daughters. Nurses play a unique role in facilitating these conversations; they provide parents with age-appropriate resources and assist in normalizing fears, which can help increase parent—child sexual-risk communication. J Am Psychiatr Nurses Assoc, 2008; 14(1), 50-60. DOI : 10.1177/1078390307311770