Miller K S, Kotchick B A, Dorsey S, Forehand R, Ham A Y
Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Fam Plann Perspect. 1998 Sep-Oct;30(5):218-22, 235.
Communication between parents and adolescents about sex, particularly in minority families, has been understudied; more information is needed both on which sex-related topics are discussed and on how their content is transmitted.
Parent-adolescent communication about 10 sex-related topics was examined in a sample of 907 Hispanic and black 14-16-year-olds. Chi-square analyses were performed to test for significant differences across the 10 topics in discussions reported by the adolescents (with either parent) and by the mothers. The openness of communication, parent-adolescent agreement about communication of topics and differences by gender and ethnicity were also examined.
Significantly higher proportions of mothers and adolescents reported discussions of HIV or AIDS (92% by mothers and 71% by adolescents, respectively) and STDs (85% and 70%, respectively) than of issues surrounding sexual behavior, contraceptive use and physical development (27-74% for these other eight topics as reported by mothers vs. 15-66% as reported by adolescents). The gender of the adolescent and of the parent holding the discussion, but not the family's ethnicity, significantly influenced findings, with adolescents of both sexes more likely to report discussions with mothers than with fathers, and with parents more likely to discuss any of the 10 topics with an adolescent of the same gender than of the opposite gender. The likelihood of a topic being discussed and of mother-adolescent agreement that a topic was discussed both increased with an increasing degree of openness in the communication process.
Consistent with research among white samples, mothers of black and Hispanic adolescents are the primary parental communicators about sexual topics. To facilitate communication, educational programs for parents should cover not only what is discussed, but how the information is conveyed.
父母与青少年之间关于性的沟通，尤其是在少数族裔家庭中，一直未得到充分研究；对于讨论了哪些与性相关的话题以及这些话题的内容是如何传递的，都需要更多信息。
在一个由907名14至16岁的西班牙裔和黑人青少年组成的样本中，研究了父母与青少年关于10个与性相关话题的沟通情况。进行卡方分析以检验青少年（与父母双方中的任何一方）和母亲报告的关于这10个话题的讨论中是否存在显著差异。还考察了沟通的开放性、父母与青少年在话题沟通上的一致性以及性别和种族差异。
与围绕性行为、避孕使用和身体发育的问题相比，报告讨论艾滋病毒或艾滋病（母亲报告的比例分别为92%，青少年报告的比例分别为71%）和性传播疾病（分别为85%和70%）的母亲和青少年比例显著更高（母亲报告的其他八个话题的比例为27%至74%，青少年报告的比例为15%至66%）。进行讨论的青少年和父母的性别，而非家庭种族，对研究结果有显著影响，两性青少年与母亲讨论的可能性都高于与父亲讨论，父母与同性青少年讨论这10个话题中任何一个的可能性都高于与异性青少年讨论。随着沟通过程中开放程度的增加，话题被讨论以及母亲与青少年就某一话题进行过讨论达成一致的可能性都增加了。
与白人样本的研究一致，黑人与西班牙裔青少年的母亲是性话题的主要父母沟通者。为促进沟通，针对父母的教育项目不仅应涵盖讨论的内容，还应包括信息的传达方式。
