A greater understanding of how level of acculturation influences parent-teen sex communication is needed to implement effective teen pregnancy prevention and safer sex education. My research sought to examine how levels of acculturation into mainstream U.S. culture influence parent-teen sex communication among Latinos. I examined level of acculturation (via language preference and nativity) and gender of adolescents in relation to discussion of sex and specific sex topics with parents. More acculturated Latinos were more likely to discuss sex, STIs, saying no to sex, and condoms with their parents than those less acculturated Latinos. Greater acculturation was also associated with greater quantity of sex topics discussed with parents when compared to Latinos that preferred Spanish. Less acculturated Latinos in the sample were more likely to have never discussed sex with their parents compared to more acculturated Latinos. Latino participant’s gender was not a statistically significant predictor of parent-teen communication.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Arkansas, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references.

Black-Canadian populations are disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS. In particular, Black-Canadian youth are noted to be at a greater risk of HIV infection due to their sexual risk behaviours. Many international studies indicate that open parent-youth sex communication may counter the potentially negative impact of peers, mass media and inadequate sexual health education programs on youth sexual risk behaviour. However, there is a paucity of Canadian studies on Black-Canadian parent-youth sex communication and ways to enhance this communication. As such, a qualitative based exploratory study was conducted using a community based research approach to determine the state of Black-Canadian parent-youth sex communication in Toronto, Ontario. Data was collected through 17 Key Informant interviews; that is individuals who work in Black Toronto communities and are knowledgeable about the subject matter. The results noted several factors which affect Black-Canadian parent-youth sex communication such as religion and cultural taboos surrounding the discussion of sexual health. The impact of these factors along with potential implications of this study on Black-Canadian populations and recommendations to enhance Black-Canadian parent- youth sex communication are discussed. / UOIT

Repeatedly, parents have reported more frequent and higher quality sex communication with adolescent children than adolescents report taking place. The current study analyzes the discrepancy in parent-child report of sex communication with three main focuses: the magnitude of the discrepancy, whether parent or adolescent perception is more associated with adolescent sexual esteem, and whether the discrepancy is associated with adolescent sexual esteem. Using data from the Healthy Sexuality Project, we analyze a random sample of 620 families using a hierarchical linear regression to measure whether a discrepancy in parent-adolescent reports of the frequency and quality of sex communication has influence on adolescent sexual-esteem.

The aims of this study are threefold. First, the study aims to understand the main reasons that stop 18-24-year-olds from communicating condom use and safer sex. Based on findings supported by empirical studies in the literature and interviews with sexual health researchers in Canada, this study describes how a collaborative serious game integrates the principles of serious games with practices of safer sexual communication and negotiation. Finally, it includes an analysis of how 18- to 24-year-olds report practicing safer sexual communication and negotiation skills through participation in the collaborative serious game and what insights (a) 18-24-year-old participants and (b) sexual health experts share about the game that can inform future design iterations of this game. Forty participants aged 18-24 played the game and reported enhanced communication and language skills, raised awareness and reduced stigma around safer sex communication and condom use. The potential of the game in enhancing the participants' language skills (i.e., learning the language such as words, phrases, expressions) of communication and negotiation showed the highest frequency. Language skills and communications skills together comprised 28.5% of the overall feedback. The second most frequent theme was about the efficiency of the game in normalizing conversations around sex and condom use and removing the awkwardness around such topics. The game seemed to allow participants to practice dialogue and scenarios that extend beyond what they experienced in formal sex education in school. Participants also provided a range of recommendations for the next iteration of the game. To design the serious game, I followed a process of Design-Based Research (DBR) (Anderson & Shattuck, 2012) model and followed the four phases of DBR proposed by Reeves (2006). The study's findings aid other researchers in the field and offer insights to enhance sexual health education. With the increasing STIs in Canada, COVID-19's impact, and young people's reliance on online resources for answers, this research is timely. Moreover, the study contributes to the scarce research on collaborative serious games to improve 18-24-year-olds' sexual communication and negotiation skills. Limitations and implications of the design and of the game, as experienced by participants are discussed.

<p>Problem: Gay, bisexual, and queer (GBQ) adolescent males are disproportionately affected by negative sexual health outcomes compared to their heterosexual counterparts. Their sex education needs are not sufficiently addressed in the home and the larger ecological systems. The omission of their sex education needs at a time when they are forming a sexual identity during adolescence compels GBQ males to seek information in unsupervised settings. Evidence-based interventions aimed at ensuring positive sexual health outcomes through sex communication cannot be carried out with these youth as research on how parents and GBQ males discuss sex in the home has been largely uninvestigated. </p><p>Methods: This naturalistic qualitative study focused on the interpretive reports of 15- to 20-year-old GBQ males’ discussions about sex-related topics with their parents. From a purposive sample of 30 male adolescents who self-identified as GBQ, participants who could recall at least one conversation about sex with their parents were recruited for one-time interviews and card sorts. This strategy revealed, using Bronfenbrenners’ Bioecological Theory, their perceptions about sex communication in the context of their reciprocal relationship and the ecological systems that GBQ males and their parents navigate.</p><p>Results: Parents received poor ratings as sex educators, were generally viewed as not confident in their communication approach, and lacked knowledge about issues pertinent to GBQ sons. Nevertheless, participants viewed parents as their preferred source of sex information and recognized multiple functions of sex communication. The value placed by GBQ youth on sex communication underscores their desire to ensure an uninterrupted parent-child relationship in spite of their GBQ sexual orientation. For GBQ children, inclusive sex communication is a proxy for parental acceptance. </p><p>Results show that the timing, prompts, teaching aids, and setting of sex communication for this population are similar to what has been reported with heterosexual samples. However, most GBQ sons rarely had inclusive guidance about sex and sexuality that matched their attraction, behavior, and identities. Furthermore, the assumption of heterosexuality resulted in the early awareness of being different from their peers which led them to covertly search for sex information. The combination of assumed heterosexuality and their early reliance on themselves for applicable information is a missed parental opportunity to positively impact the health of GBQ sons. More importantly, due to the powerful reach of new media, there is a critical period of maximum receptiveness that has been identified which makes inclusive sex communication paramount in the pre-sexual stage for this population. Our findings also indicate that there are plenty of opportunities for systemic improvements to meet this population’s sexual education needs.</p> / Dissertation

Recent literature on parent-child sex communication (PCSC) has identified optimal sex communication as being not only frequent, but also open in quality, and proactive in timing. However, no studies have sought to understand what motivates parents to participate in this type of optimal parent-child sex communication, nor assessed these relationships longitudinally. Using Self-Determination Theory (SDT) to inform the analysis, this study investigated parent characteristics (parent's sexual self-concept and parenting dimensions) that may longitudinally predict optimal PCSC. This study further examined whether parental sex communication efficacy mediated these relationships. The sample included 607 mother-child dyads, and the father-figure when available (mother-father-child triads (n = 363); mother-child dyads (n = 244)). Adolescent children were 12-17 years old (Wave 1 Mage = 14.55, SD = 1.68), White (56%), and cisgender female (51%). Data were collected annually for 3 years. A longitudinal SEM analysis was utilized. Results revealed that parental sex communication efficacy is longitudinally associated with children's reports of optimal sex communication. The discussion will focus on the importance of efficacy in improving parent-child sex communication processes.