Early adolescent African American girls' perceptions of virginity and romantic relationships

But He Loves Me: Teens' Comments about Healthy and Unhealthy Romantic Relationships

Romantic relationships can positively affect adolescent development. However, adolescents may not always have a clear understanding of what healthy dating looks like, which may place some adolescents at risk for dating violence. The present study examined the following research questions: (1) What are adolescents' perceptions of healthy and unhealthy attributes of romantic relationships? (2) How do adolescents perceive jealousy and potentially controlling behaviors? (3) What is the relationship between adolescents' attitudes towards jealousy and controlling behaviors and their willingness to intervene in a peer's unhealthy romantic relationship? The study included a predominantly female, ethnically diverse sample of 72 adolescents (M = 17.5 years) who participated in an internet-based health promotion intervention that allowed peers and health educators to interact. Adolescents commented on message boards and completed a survey. Findings showed that adolescents can articulate both healthy and unhealthy romantic relationship attributes. Some adolescents struggled to understand relationship attributes including jealousy and possessiveness, as these behaviors can be perceived as expressions of strong romantic interest. Adolescents may benefit from programs that strengthen healthy dating behaviors, teach youth to distinguish healthy from unhealthy behaviors, address conflict in respectful ways, and tactfully intervene when they witness abusive behaviors in the relationships of others.

Exploring the Experience of African Immigrant Mothers Providing Reproductive Health Education to Their Daughters Aged 10 to 14 Years

INTRODUCTION

Adolescents have disproportionate rates of unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections when compared with all other age groups. Mothers are gatekeepers and providers of reproductive health education, which can prevent teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. Reproductive health education provided by African immigrant mothers is influenced by cultural experiences and cultural contexts that are not well understood and have not been studied. This study sought to describe the experience of African mothers living in the United States providing reproductive health education to their daughters aged 10 to 14 years.

METHOD

A qualitative descriptive design was used. Twenty African immigrant mothers were interviewed in a community setting. Qualitative content analysis approach was used for analysis.

RESULTS

Three main themes emerged: (1) mothers' reproductive health education in their country of origin, (2) mothers' reproductive health communication with their daughters, and (3) changes due to the move to the United States.

DISCUSSION

Mothers believed daughters were too young for reproductive health education, leading to conversations with limited content that were frequently triggered by daughters' exposure to reproductive health education outside the home.

IMPLICATIONS

African immigrant mothers may benefit from culturally congruent discussions with health care providers about the reproductive health information they give their daughters.