A culturally and cognitively adapted joint mother–daughter sexual health and HIV transmission curriculum was implemented for 96 Latina early adolescents and their mothers (48 mother–daughter dyads). Pretest and posttest surveys, interviews, and observations of participants' conversations about AIDS were used to assess program effectiveness in increasing knowledge and communication about sexuality and HIV transmission, and fostering daughters' positive attitudes toward using condoms in the future. At posttest, mothers and daughters reported an increase in the frequency of home communication about sexual topics and openness in general communication. Systematic observational analysis of videotaped mother–daughter conversations about AIDS revealed that, compared to the pretest, daughters were more engaged in posttest conversations as evidenced by an increase in their spontaneous sharing of information about HIV transmission and their offering of opinions. In addition, the posttest conversations focused on a broader discussion of HIV transmission risk behavior including condom use as a protective measure. Mothers who knew more about HIV transmission at posttest, and who reported more openness in general communication with daughters at posttest, asked their daughters more questions in the conversations about what they had learned in the program. Daughters who contributed more information and opinions to the posttest conversations, who were more knowledgeable about HIV transmission at posttest, and who reported more home communication about sexual topics in the posttest, also reported more positive attitudes toward using condoms in the future.
Although the prevalence of ever having sexual intercourse for Latina adolescents is comparable to that of European American adolescents girls (45.4% vs 44.7%), Latina adolescents have lower rates of contraceptive/condom use (Manlove et al., 2009 and Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance—United States, 2009, 2010). Consequently, 44% of Latinas will become pregnant at least once by age 20 compared to nearly 3 in 10 teen girls overall (The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, 2013). In addition, Latinas are disproportionately affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic (Prejean et al., 2011) and rates of chlamydia among Latina adolescents in the 14–19 year-old age range are higher than that of European American adolescents (Datta et al., 2007). These statistics underscore the need to promote self-protective practices to help Latina adolescents avoid negative health consequences.
Research suggests that sexuality communication between Latino parents and adolescents can play a critical role. Sexuality communication has been linked to fewer adolescent sexual episodes, increased condom use efficacy (e.g., Dutra et al., 1999 and Hutchinson et al., 2003) and more consistent contraceptive use (East, Reyes, Contreras, Wu, & Contreras, 2005). However, embarrassment is reported as a major barrier by both immigrant and U.S.-born Latina mothers to effective sexuality communication with adolescents (Guilamo-Ramos et al., 2006a, Jerman and Constantine, 2010, McKee and Karasz, 2006, Meneses et al., 2006 and Wilson et al., 2010). Even among parents who do communicate about sexuality, birth control and condom use are among the least discussed topics (Biggs, Minnis, Arons, Marchi, Lehrer, Braverman, & Brindis, 2010; Jerman and Constantine, 2010, Raffaelli and Green, 2003 and Romo et al., 2010), despite parents' bombardment of warnings about STIs and pregnancy consequences. Nonetheless, many Latino parents consider it their duty to talk to their adolescents about sexual health consequences (Guilamo-Ramos & Bouris, 2008) and are motivated by their concerns about their adolescents' vulnerability to HIV infection (Romo, Lefkowitz, Sigman, & Au, 2001).
This study reports on findings related to the effectiveness of an adapted mother–daughter sexual health program for Latina early adolescent daughters and their mostly immigrant mothers on their communication and knowledge about sexuality and HIV transmission, and the daughters' condom use attitudes. Focusing on early adolescents who are not yet sexually active is important because research suggests that comfort of mother–adolescent communication about sexuality is a significant positive predictor of Latino adolescents' intentions to delay sexual intercourse (Guzman et al., 2003). In one study, parental communication about sexuality including condom use that occurred prior to sexual debut was associated with greater condom use in later years (Hutchinson, 2002 and Miller et al., 1998). Unfortunately, many parents do not talk to their adolescents about condom use before they become sexually active (Beckett et al., 2010). Research also suggests that by the time parents talk to them about ways to prevent sexuality transmitted infections and condom use as a protective measure, many young adolescents are already engaging in genital touching (Beckett et al., 2010).
