Citation

Harper GW, Motley DN, Timmons Tyler A, Tyler DH, Catania JA, Dolcini MM. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2019; 16(7): ePub.

Affiliation

Hallie Ford Center for Healthy Children and Families, College of Public Health and Human Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA. Peggy.Dolcini@oregonstate.edu.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, MDPI: Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute)

DOI

10.3390/ijerph16071146

PMID

30935043

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Research on the sexual behaviors of African American youth has primarily focused on associated risks, with a dearth of studies examining a fuller representation of African American adolescents' sexual lives. This study explored the range of messages African American adolescents receive from family members regarding sexual behavior and sexual relationships.

METHODS: Participants were 52 sexually experienced African American youth (male = 32, female = 20) between the ages of 15 and 17 recruited from community-based organizations in the United States. Youth participated in individual in-depth qualitative interviews, and data were analyzed using a phenomenological framework.

RESULTS: Participants received a variety of messages about sexual behavior and sexual relationships from a range of family members including parents, siblings, grandmothers, aunts/uncles, and cousins. Types of messages clustered into three domains: sexual decision-making, quantity and quality of sexual activity, and sexual health promotion; with themes and sub-themes emerging within each area.

CONCLUSION: Gender differences in the types of messages received are explored, and applications of the findings to the development of family-involved community interventions that promote sexual and reproductive health are discussed.

Language: en

Keywords

African Americans; adolescence; family systems perspective; qualitative methods