https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6944-4636
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Abstract
Despite growing evidence that parent-child sex communication (PCSC) is a positive strategy for adolescent sexual health outcomes, there is little research about what prompts and impedes these conversations among parents of gay, bisexual, and queer (GBQ) adolescent sons. Using interview data from a multi-method qualitative study, we analyzed parental perspectives (N = 15) on non-heteronormative sex communication with GBQ adolescent sons. Our results revealed that parents are most likely to engage in sex communication if they established open communication with their child, accepted their child’s sexual orientation, encouraged safe sex practices, and were knowledgeable about LGBTQ issues. Conversely, parents who experience communication discomfort were unable to engage in inclusive and comprehensive sex conversations, thus creating a barrier to effective sex-positive communication. These findings have implications for future research and interventions that promote parents’ ability to successfully facilitate conversations about sexual health with their sexuality diverse children.
Acknowledgments
New York Medical College Department of Public Health Behavioral Science and Health Promotion 2020 Capstone students. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views, opinions, and conclusions of the National Institutes of Health.
Ethical approval
This study (Protocol 828565) received regulatory approval from the University of Pennsylvania IRB on December 5, 2017.
Disclosure statement
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).