USF St. Petersburg campus Faculty Publications

The Relationship between Culture and Parent-teen Sexuality Conversations in Black Families: Implications for Health Promotion.

SelectedWorks Author Profiles:

Kemesha Gabbidon

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2017

ISSN

1545-8717

Abstract

Background: Sexuality studies have often overlooked ethnic and cultural differences affecting parentteen sex conversations and the potential implications for Black teens’ sexual activity. Purpose: Examine the relationship between parent-teen sex conversations and teens’ sexual activity among ethnically diverse Black adolescents in Miami, Florida. Methods: Using cross-sectional survey methodology, 157 Black adolescents specifically, African Americans, Haitians, and Jamaicans (ages 14-18 years) were recruited through community-serving organizations and schools in Miami, Florida to complete a 52-item questionnaire. Regression analysis was used to determine the relationship between parent-teen sex conversations and teens’ sexual activity. Results: Teens’ mean age was 16 years, (SD=1.49), 60% were female. Fifty percent of African Americans, 39% of Haitians, and 34% of Jamaicans were sexually active. Age of penile-vaginal/anal sexual debut was 14.15 years (SD=1.51) for Jamaicans, 15.09 years (SD=1.94) for African Americans, and 15.38 years, (SD=1.56) for Haitians. Of the three groups, Haitians reported lower comfort and value for family-sex conversations. Cultural differences affected families’ engagement in sex conversations, however teens benefited from parents’ messages on delaying sex and safer-sex practices. Conclusion: Findings call for culturally-appropriate public health interventions to improve families’ comfort and communication skills for sex conversations particularly in communities where these conversations contradict cultural norms.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

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