Health
Mom's Sex Attitude Matters
If you think your opinions about sex don't matter to your teen-ager, think again. Adolescents who have good relationships with their mothers and think their mothers disapprove of teen sex are less likely to have sex and less likely to get pregnant if they do, according to a study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health in April of 2000.
The study followed 10,000 youngsters from grades seven through 11 in two interviews one year apart. Mothers were interviewed only once. Researchers asked a variety of questions about family attitudes and the level of control the teens exerted over their own lives.
Adolescents who both believed their mothers disapproved of teen sex and rated their relationships with their mothers highly were least likely to engage in high-risk sexual activity, researchers found. Teens who rated their relationships highly, but did not perceive maternal disapproval toward teen sex were likely to use birth control, but not abstain.
The researchers noted the teens' perceptions were not always based in reality. Males, older teens and those who reported less parental control were much more likely to underestimate maternal disapproval. Clear communication between parents and teens on sex, birth control use and parental beliefs are necessary, researchers said.
The study followed 10,000 youngsters from grades seven through 11 in two interviews one year apart. Mothers were interviewed only once. Researchers asked a variety of questions about family attitudes and the level of control the teens exerted over their own lives.
Adolescents who both believed their mothers disapproved of teen sex and rated their relationships with their mothers highly were least likely to engage in high-risk sexual activity, researchers found. Teens who rated their relationships highly, but did not perceive maternal disapproval toward teen sex were likely to use birth control, but not abstain.
The researchers noted the teens' perceptions were not always based in reality. Males, older teens and those who reported less parental control were much more likely to underestimate maternal disapproval. Clear communication between parents and teens on sex, birth control use and parental beliefs are necessary, researchers said.
