Attitudes that affect the ability of African American preadolescent girls and their mothers to talk openly about sex

Approximately 50% of new HIV infections in the US occur in teenagers, with African American females making up a disproportionate number. The purpose of this study was to identify factors that could encourage delaying sexual debut. Twenty-eight African American mothers and their early adolescent daughters were recruited from four inner-city community centers. Seven separate focus groups were conducted for mothers and daughters using principles of Participatory Action Research. Four codes emerged from the data: social norms regarding sex, males, self-esteem, and family structure. These codes support the importance of an intervention to facilitate sexual communication between a mother and her daughter.

Ecological influences of sexuality on early adolescent African American females

African Americans make up the greater proportion of AIDS cases in adolescent girls but little is understood about the development of sexual risk behaviors during the early adolescent years. This article will explore ecological factors influencing adolescent sexual risk behaviors. In the focus groups, which were conducted using 28 African American mothers and their early adolescent daughters, 2 major themes emerged: exposure and support systems. Mothers described the impact community had on their daughters and how monitoring and support systems worked together to control exposure. The girls detailed the different ways they were impacted by the community. Attitudes the girls adopted from their exposures resulted in risk-taking behaviors or a determination to positively impact the community. Community was shown to be the context of the acquisition of sexual knowledge and attitudes. These findings support the development of interventions to address the impact of community on the participation of sexual risk behaviors.

Heterosocial behaviors in early adolescent African American girls: the role of mother-daughter relationships

Recent epidemiological trends in HIV/AIDS have helped draw attention to minority adolescents as especially high risk for HIV acquisition. Research shows the importance of maternal-child closeness and sexual communication in decreasing adolescent risk behaviors. The information, motivation, behavioral skills model (IMB) formed the framework for this pilot study whose purpose was to examine the informational and motivational antecedents of heterosocial risks in African American middle-school-aged girls and the maternal influence on these risks. Thirty-nine mother-daughter dyads participated, of whom 54% were impoverished. The girls' intent to stay safe, perceived social norms, and closeness to mother were negatively correlated with reported participation in potentially risky situations. Early interventions may enhance mother-daughter bonding, increasing sexual communication, and decreasing girls' participation in risky behaviors. This pilot study provides direction regarding testing of the IMB model in studies focused on early adolescent behaviors and mother-daughter interactions.