African American mother-daughter communication about sex and daughters' sexual behavior: does college racial composition make a difference?
This study examined the influence of African American mothers' communication about sexual topics on the sexual attitudes and behavior of their college-enrolled daughters. Daughters were enrolled at a historically Black college/university (HBCU) or a predominantly White institution (PWI) to assess whether and how college racial context might affect daughters' sexual attitudes and behavior. Findings indicated that daughters at the HBCU had less permissive attitudes about premarital sex than their counterparts at the PWI. This result was especially true for daughters of mothers with more conservative attitudes about premarital sex and who discussed such topics infrequently. Last, the combination of positive mother-daughter communication and fewer discussions about sexual topics resulted in lower levels of sexual experience among the daughters.
Bynum
Mia Smith
MS
Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA. msbynum@psych.purdue.edu
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000208:ethnology*; D003142:Communication; D018864:Cultural Diversity; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009035:Mothers; D009679:Nuclear Family; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D014495:Universities