Racial/ethnic differences in mother-daughter communication about sex.
White, Black, Latina, and Asian mothers (n = 6929) were compared on aspects of mother-daughter communication about sex. Non-Whites reported higher discomfort. Latinas and Asians were least likely to have discussed sex but most likely to know daughters' sexual status. The converse was observed for Black mothers. Research on the influence of ethnicity on adolescent sexual behavior may inform the design of more effective interventions to reduce sexual risk behavior.
Meneses
Lisa M
LM
Program in Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 95616, USA. lmmeneses@ucdavis.edu
Orrell-Valente
Joan K
JK
Guendelman
Sylvia R
SR
Oman
Doug
D
Irwin
Charles E
CE
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003142:Communication; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D044469:Racial Groups; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012725:Sexual Behavior