Maternal Influences on Adolescent Risky Sexual Involvement: An Exploration of Gender and Racial-Ethnic Differences

Introduction: Greater frequency of maternal sexual communication, when combined with maternal disapproval of early sexual involvement, can protect adolescents from engaging in risky sexual behaviors (Khurana & Cooksey, 2012). However, it is unknown if this protective influence can vary based on the adolescent’s gender and/or race-ethnicity. To address this question, we use national longitudinal data to explore gender and racial-ethnic variations in this effect in relation to three sexual risk outcomes, namely multiple sexual partners, STI diagnosis, and inconsistent condom use.

Methods: We analyzed data from waves 1 and 3 of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), collected 6 years apart from adolescents who were 12-16 years old at wave 1. The sample comprised of 71% White, 13% African-American, and 11% Hispanic youth, and had a near equal gender distribution (53% female). Maternal sexual communication was assessed using maternal reports of frequency of communication with adolescent about sex, birth control, and negative consequences of sex. Maternal disapproval was assessed using adolescent perceptions of their mother’s disapproval of their involvement in sexual intercourse and contraceptive use at that age. Sexual risk outcomes were assessed at both waves using adolescent self-reports.

Results: The protective effect of maternal sexual communication in the context of maternal disapproval was found to be significant only in case of number of lifetime sexual partners. In the absence of perceived maternal disapproval, higher frequency of maternal sexual communication was associated with an increased risk of having multiple sexual partners 5–6 years later. Gender group comparisons revealed that this interactive effect was marginally significant for boys, F (2, 126) = 2.52, p = 0.08, but not for girls. Similar racial-ethnic variations were also noted, with the interaction being strongest in case of African-American youth, F (2, 126) = 3.71, p = 0.03, and marginally significant for Hispanic adolescents, F (2, 126) = 2.61, p = 0.07.

Conclusion: Findings suggest that in order to be effective maternal sexual communication should take place within a disapproving value-context. This is especially true in case of boys and African American adolescents, for whom lack of perceived maternal disapproval and frequent sexual communication was associated with a higher number of lifetime sexual partners at follow-up. These important differences also call into question the effectiveness of a “one size fits all” intervention model and point in the direction of more tailored approaches towards prevention of adolescent sexual risk-taking behaviors.