Buffer or Brake? The Role of Sexuality-Specific Parenting in Adolescents' Sexualized Media Consumption and Sexual Development

Mother-daughter communication of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) matters and associated factors among sinhalese adolescent girls aged 14-19 years, in Sri Lanka

INTRODUCTION

School-based and community-based sexuality education has not shown a significant impact on the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) outcomes of Sri Lankan adolescents. Parents, as the primary educators of adolescents, could potentially serve as better sources for providing individualized sexuality education to their children.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) topics discussed between mothers and daughters, barriers to communication, and associations of SRH communication among Sinhala adolescent girls aged 14-19 years in Sri Lanka.

METHODS

A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among a sample of 810 Sinhala adolescent girls using a pre-tested, self-administered questionnaire. Descriptive statistics pertaining to mother-daughter communication in SRH matters were presented using frequencies and percentages. Bivariate analysis was performed to evaluate the association of selected socio-demographic factors with mother-daughter SRH communication, while binary logistic analysis was used to assess the independent association of chosen demographic factors with mother-daughter SRH communication.

RESULTS

The majority of the respondents (67.1%, n = 540) indicated a willingness to discuss SRH matters with their mothers. For 78.2% (n = 632) of the respondents, the mother was the preferred source of SRH information. Common topics discussed between the mothers and daughters included issues related to menstruation (88.4%, n = 701) and maintaining personal boundaries (94%, n = 718), whereas less discussed topics included homosexuality (21%, n = 166), and preventing unwanted pregnancy (38.6%, n = 305). Cultural barriers, fear of mothers' reactions, and mothers' lack of confidence in responding to their daughter's SRH matters were the main barriers to discussing SRH topics with mothers. Adolescent girls' age, and family income level were significantly associated with mother-daughter SRH communication.

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Although a majority of adolescent girls preferred to share their sexual health concerns with their mothers, a notable barrier was the lack of confidence from the mother's side. Furthermore, the scope of mother-daughter sexual communication in this study was largely limited to less sensitive topics. In light of these findings, it is suggested that interventions targeted at parents be developed alongside school-based sex education for adolescents. These interventions should aim to enhance parents' knowledge and skills in discussing sexual health matters with their adolescent children.

Mother's perceptions and concerns over sharing sexual and reproductive health information with their adolescent daughters- A qualitative study among mothers of adolescent girls aged 14-19 years in the developing world, Sri Lanka

INTRODUCTION

Studies across the world have shown that parent-adolescent SRH communication can prevent unhealthy sexual and reproductive health (SRH) practices among adolescents and promote their sexual and reproductive health. Parents have the ability to provide individualized sex education to suit the needs of their children, their families, and societal values. The fact that children have more opportunities in the family, makes parent-based sexuality education of children a better approach to Sri Lankan context.

OBJECTIVE

To explore mother's perceptions and concerns over sharing SRH information with their daughters among Sinhalese mothers of adolescent girls aged 14-19 years in Sri Lanka.

METHODOLOGY

Six Focus group discussions (FGD) were carried out among mothers of adolescent girls aged 14-19 years. Each focus group discussion included 10-12 participants who were recruited using the purposive sampling method. A focus group discussion guide developed after an extensive literature search and expert opinion was used to retrieve information from mothers. Data management and analysis mainly followed an inductive approach to thematic analysis principles. The findings were presented in narrative form using respondents' quotes in their own words and were developed into codes and themes.

RESULTS

The mean age of the participants was 43.5 years while 62.4% (n = 40) were educated above the Ordinary level. Analysis of data identified eight main themes from the FGDs. Many mothers thought that sexual and reproductive information is important to adolescent girls. They tried to keep their girl adolescents informed about Adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH) issues. They preferred abstinence-only education over abstinence-plus education. Lack of skills and lack of knowledge on adolescent SRH issues was a major challenge identified by the mothers to communicate SRH matters with their children.

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Although mothers perceived their role as primary sex educators to their children, they were not confident about their knowledge and skills in discussing SRH matters with children. Implementation of interventions to improve mothers' attitudes and skills in communicating SRH matters with children is recommended.

As características desejadas em parceiros amorosos selecionados por meio da internet, intenções dos usuários e seus desdobramentos

O presente estudo avaliou as características desejadas em um parceiro virtual quando há intenção de se casar ou ficar. Uma amostra de 210 estudantes universitários respondeu a um questionário com questões elaboradas pelos pesquisadores e a Escala de Atributos do Parceiro Ideal. Verificou-se qual a intenção amorosa dos sujeitos ao utilizarem os aplicativos, a quantidade de encontros concretizados e o tempo de acesso a eles. Os resultados mostraram que as características desejadas em um parceiro para ficar e em um para casar são diferentes, assim como as intenções amorosas entre os sexos e a quantidade de encontros que concretizaram. O tempo de acesso aos aplicativos foi semelhante e as mulheres consideraram que os homens criam mais expectativas sobre o desenvolvimento de um namoro por ferramentas virtuais. Concluiu-se que os homens são mais propensos ao envolvimento sexual casual.

Sexuality, Education and Support for People with Intellectual Disabilities: A Systematic Review of the Attitudes of Support Staff and Relatives

Support staff and relatives are uncertain about multiple aspects of the sexuality of people with intellectual disabilities. Given that their attitudes embody positive and negative views, they can respectively support and restrict free sexual expression among people with intellectual disabilities and their potential for (intimate) relationships. A qualitative systematic literature review was conducted on the attitudes of support staff and relatives toward the sexuality of people with intellectual disabilities. A systematic search strategy was deployed across seven databases. The identified articles were screened on predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria, and assessed on quality, which resulted in 31 included studies. A metasynthesis of these studies resulted in two major themes emerging, namely (a) attitudes toward the sexuality of people with intellectual disabilities, and (b) attitudes toward the sex education and support. Themes represented both positive and restrictive attitudes among support staff and relatives. The findings suggest that despite a general acceptance of the sexual rights of people with intellectual disabilities, certain forms of sexuality were approached more cautiously. Moreover, the sexual needs of some subgroups of people with intellectual disabilities received scarce attention. Those support staff and relatives holding rather restrictive attitudes appear to emphasize sexual risks. Finally, support staff and relatives stressed the importance of providing sex education and support for people with intellectual disabilities, while, simultaneously, expressing insecurity over the subject. The findings can help to improve the support provided to support staff and relatives to promote sexual health among people with intellectual disabilities.

Parent-Child Sex Communication Prompts, Approaches, Reactions, and Functions According to Gay, Bisexual, and Queer Sons

Minimal research on parent-child sex communication between parents and gay, bisexual, and queer (GBQ) adolescent sons prevents the formulation of interventions that would buffer or brake this youth population's risks for HIV/STI. We sought to describe the perspectives of GBQ adolescent males on this process and the potential ways they think parents can address their sons' informational needs, including countering youth access of sexually explicit media. We conducted 30 semi-structured interviews with GBQ male youth aged 15-20 years. Thematic and content analysis revealed four central themes: prompts and triggers, parents' approaches, sons' reactions, and the functions assigned to sex communication. Parents can be sources of reliable sexual health information and may be leveraged for future HIV/STI risk reduction work.

Birth Order and First Sexual Experience: Do Siblings Influence Sexual Debut in Adolescents?

Birth order may foster specific roles for individuals within the family and set in train a dynamic that influences the development of specific behaviors. In this paper, we explored the relationship between birth order, sex, timing of sexual initiation, and its consequences for risky sexual behavior and sexual health. We conducted a path analysis to simultaneously estimate direct and indirect effects using data from the National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (NATSAL-3). Whereas women born as only-children were more likely to sexually debut at later ages, middle-child boys were significantly more prone to initiate sexual intercourse earlier compared with first-borns. As expected, early sexual initiation was associated with riskier behaviors and sexual health outcomes. These associations were partially moderated by siblings role as confidants about sexuality. Our findings have implications for preventive programs aimed at promoting healthy sexual debuts and behaviors over the life span.

A Comparison of the Process and Content of Sexual Communications Among African American Adolescent Children Living in Parent and Grandparent Headed Families

Introduction

The process of parental sexual communication has been shown to delay the sexual debut of adolescents; however, few studies have focused on extended family members such as grandparents. The purpose of this study was to compare the process and content of sexual communications among African-American adolescent children living in parent or grandparent headed families.

Methods

A secondary analysis of two de-identified datasets from 80 African-American adolescents was conducted.

Results

Findings indicated that there were no significant differences in the sexual communication process in relation to facilitators p= 0.38 and barriers p =0.23 with the discussions. There were however significant differences with adolescents’ attitudes (p = 0.04) and feelings regarding sexual abstinence (p =0.01), HIV prevention (p= 0.002) and teen pregnancy (p= 0.010).

Discussion

Researchers can use the results of this study as a beginning point in examining the sexual communication process in grandparent-headed families.

Sexual dream and family relationships in frequent sexual dreamers and healthy volunteers

Early life family relationships affect the sexuality in adulthood, and these influences might be reflected in sexual dreams. The present study was designed to investigate the exact associations between family relationships and sexual dream experience. We therefore invited 62 frequent sexual dreamers (dreamers) and 104 healthy volunteers (controls) to answer the Sexual Dream Experience Questionnaire (SDEQ) and the Family Relationship Questionnaire (FRQ). Compared to controls, dreamers scored higher on all SDEQ factors and sexual dream frequency, higher on FRQ Paternal Abuse, and lower on FRQ General Attachment and Maternal Freedom Release. In controls, Paternal Abuse was associated with Joyfulness, Maternal Dominance with Aversion, and Maternal Abuse with dream frequency (-). In dreamers, Paternal Abuse was associated with Aversion, Bizarreness and dream frequency, and Maternal Freedom Release with Aversion (-). In conclusion, there were pronounced associations between sexual dreams and family relationships in frequent sexual dreamers. Paternal Abuse in particular was associated with sexual dream experience. Adverse family relationships might induce frequent sexual dream occurrence, and family therapy or early intervention of Paternal Abuse might alleviate the negative sexual dream experience.

Does Adolescent Media Use Predict Sexual Stereotypes in Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood? Associations with Music Television and Online Pornography Exposure

Entertainment media consumed by adolescents have been criticized for their stereotyped depictions of sexual relationships. This longitudinal study among 182 boys and 218 girls from Belgium tests reciprocal relationships between adolescents' acceptance of gendered sexual roles and their exposure to music television and online pornography over three waves. The study innovates by including a fourth wave, approximately 5 years after Wave 3, when the participants had reached emerging adulthood, allowing to study long-term associations across the two developmental stages. Results first showed that adolescents who watched more music television than their same-aged peers reported a stronger acceptance of rape myths in emerging adulthood. Second, the link between adolescents' music television viewing and acceptance of rape myths in emerging adulthood was an indirect relationship through adolescents' acceptance of gendered sexual roles during adolescence. Third, adolescents' exposure to online pornography relative to their same-aged peers did not predict their acceptance of gendered sexual roles or rape myths in emerging adulthood. Fourth, gender and age differences could not be investigated due to model fit problems and are suggested to be examined in future research. Implications of the long-term consequences of adolescents' media use are discussed.

The socialization of attitudes about sex and their role in adolescent pornography use

INTRODUCTION

This study examines the socialization of conservative attitudes about sex and pornography use in later adolescence. We tested a socialization model whereby we anticipated that parent conservative sex attitudes would more strongly predict teen conservative sex attitudes when more frequent and higher quality parent-teen communication was present. We further hypothesized that teen conservative sex attitudes would mediate relations between parent conservative sex attitudes and teen pornography use over time.

METHODS

The data come from three waves of the National Survey of Youth and Religion (N = 3290; ages 13 through 18; M age = 15.5).

RESULTS

Path analyses found that teen sex attitudes mediated the negative link between parent sex attitudes and subsequent teen pornography use, but frequency and quality of parent-teen communication extensiveness (operationalized as frequency) and quality (operationalized as comfort) did not moderate the association between parent and teen sex attitudes. However, communication extensiveness did moderate relations between parent sex attitudes and later teen pornography use. The model was largely consistent across teen gender.

CONCLUSIONS

In short, parent and teen conservative sex attitudes are developmentally linked and predictive of later teen pornography use, but the role of parent-teen communication and teen gender are complex and in need of further research.