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Parent–Adolescent Sexual Communication: Associations of Condom Use with Condom Discussions

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Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between parent–teen sexual communication, discussion of condoms, and condom use among adolescents in mental health treatment. Adolescents with a history of sexual intercourse and their parents completed questionnaires assessing adolescent sexual risk behavior, sexual communication, and discussion of sexual topics. Greater condom use by adolescents was associated with parent–adolescent condom discussion but was not associated with openness in sexual communication. Seventy-six percent of adolescents reported that parents had discussed condoms with them and these discussions were significantly associated with protected sexual acts. In a logistic regression, accounting for age, gender, race, and psychiatric diagnosis teens that discussed condoms with their parent were more likely to report condom use at last sex. Increasing direct communication about condoms may be an important step in increasing adolescent’s safer sex behavior. Mental health disorders and family distress may make such discussions challenging but are not an insurmountable barrier to direct discussions about condoms.

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Acknowledgment

Research supported by NIMH grant R01MH 63008 to Rhode Island Hospital (PI: Brown).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Rhode Island Hospital and Brown Medical School, Bradley/Hasbro Children’s Research Center (BHCRC), One Hoppin Street Suite 204, Providence, RI, 02903, USA

    Wendy Hadley, Larry K. Brown, Celia M. Lescano, Harrison Kell & Kirsten Spalding

  2. Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Ralph DiClemente

  3. University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

    Geri Donenberg

Authors
  1. Wendy Hadley
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  2. Larry K. Brown
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  3. Celia M. Lescano
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  4. Harrison Kell
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  5. Kirsten Spalding
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  6. Ralph DiClemente
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  7. Geri Donenberg
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Consortia

Project STYLE Study Group

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Wendy Hadley.

Appendix

Appendix

Project STYLE Study Group

Principal Investigators

Larry Brown, M.D.—Rhode Island Hospital (RIH), Providence, RI

Ralph DiClemente, Ph.D.—Emory University, Atlanta, GA

Geri Donenberg, Ph.D.—University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), Chicago, IL

Site Investigators

Chinmayee Barve, Ph.D.—UIC, Chicago, IL

Richard Crosby, Ph.D.—Emory University, Atlanta, GA

Wendy Hadley, Ph.D.—RIH, Providence, RI

Delia Lang, Ph.D.—Emory University, Atlanta, GA

Celia Lescano, Ph.D.—RIH, Providence, RI

Cami McBride, Ph.D.—Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science,

Chicago, IL

Consultants

Nancy Beausoleil, M.S.—RIH, Providence, RI

Angela Caliendo, M.D., Ph.D—Emory University, Atlanta, GA

David Pugatch, M.D.—RIH, Providence, RI

Ron Seifer, Ph.D.—RIH, Providence, RI

Project Coordinators

RIH

    Renee Johnson, B.S.

    Harrison Kell, A.B.

    Erika Litvin, B.S.

    Jonathon Thompson, B.S.

UIC

    Gloria Coleman, M.A.

    Emily Hasselquist, B.A.

    Chisina Kapungu, M.A.

    Charu Thakral, Ph.D.

Emory University

    Cara Averhart, M.A.

    Wayne Baudy, MPH

    Emily Higgins, MPH

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Hadley, W., Brown, L.K., Lescano, C.M. et al. Parent–Adolescent Sexual Communication: Associations of Condom Use with Condom Discussions. AIDS Behav 13, 997–1004 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-008-9468-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-008-9468-z

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