Parent-Child Sexual Health Communication: A Literary Analysis of Interventions Within the Past Ten Years ?

Abstract

Adolescent African American and Latino children are increasingly engaging in risky sexual behaviors, resulting in higher rates of teenage pregnancy and STI diagnoses. An analysis of 14 current interventions have found that effective communication between caregivers and their adolescent children can successfully increase health communication amongst family members, thus decreasing sexually risky behaviors. Research has, however, found parent reluctance toward initiation of communication and unwillingness to have prolonged conversations about sexuality and sustained contraception use. Prospectively, there is a requisite for theory-based intervention that focuses on creating open communication on sexuality, to lower rates of risky behavior among adolescences.