Parent Perspectives on the Prevention of Unintended Pregnancy and HIV/STDs Among Latino Adolescents

Introduction:Latina adolescents continue to have the highest birth rate of any ethnic group in the U.S. despite overall declines in adolescent pregnancy over the last decade. This trend is partly attributable to racial/ethnic differences in unprotected sexual behavior. As a result, 76% of pregnancies among Latino adolescents are unplanned and rates of HIV/STDs are significantly higher among Latino adolescents when compared to whites. The factors that drive unintended pregnancy and STD transmission among Latino adolescents are as diverse as their communities. The purpose of this research was to examine parent perspectives regarding unintended adolescent pregnancy in the context of a larger community-based research effort involving a school committed to addressing teen pregnancy, HIV/STDs, and substance use.

Methods:Parents were recruited from a charter high school located in a large, Midwestern city that serves a predominately Latino population of low-income. Eighteen parents were recruited to participate in one of three focus groups through an English/Spanish language flier that was mailed to every student’s home address. Participants were asked a series of open-ended questions regarding the factors that contribute to unintended pregnancy in the school, how unintended pregnancies can be prevented, and perspectives on the school’s role in pregnancy prevention. Interviews were held at the school, conducted in Spanish, and audio-recorded. Participants received a $35 gift card for their participation. Interviews were transcribed in Spanish, translated into English, and analyzed using a template coding approach in Atlas.ti.

Results:The parent-youth relationship was identified as a primary target for preventing unintended pregnancy and STDs. Parent-youth communication about reproductive health and STDs, parental supervision of youth, and mutual trust between parents and youth emerged as the most salient themes across the three groups. Generational differences in technology and use of media, communication about reproductive health, and cultural values and the structure of parental employment were cited as challenges to effective monitoring and communication about reproductive health. Need was expressed for the school to teach reproductive health content in the context of healthy relationships and respect for self and family. Support was requested to facilitate parent-youth communication about reproductive health.

Conclusions: Findings from this study underscore the importance of the parent-youth relationship in unintended pregnancy from Latino parents’ perspectives. Prevention efforts that address pregnancy and STD prevention among Latinos in school settings may benefit from approaches that couple school based reproductive health education with parent-based curricula.