“You’ve Gotta be Careful”: Familial Messages Regarding Sexual Behavior and Sexual Relationships among African American Adolescents

Gary W. Harper, Darnell N. Motley, April Timmons Tyler, Donald H. Tyler, Joseph A. Catania and M. Margaret Dolcini
Additional contact information
Gary W. Harper: School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
Darnell N. Motley: Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
April Timmons Tyler: Michael Reese Research and Education Foundation Care Program at Mercy Hospital, Chicago, IL 60616, USA
Donald H. Tyler: A New Way of Being, LLC, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
Joseph A. Catania: Hallie Ford Center for Healthy Children and Families, College of Public Health and Human Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
M. Margaret Dolcini: Hallie Ford Center for Healthy Children and Families, College of Public Health and Human Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 7, 1-16

Abstract: Background: Research on the sexual behaviors of African American youth has primarily focused on associated risks, with a dearth of studies examining a fuller representation of African American adolescents’ sexual lives. This study explored the range of messages African American adolescents receive from family members regarding sexual behavior and sexual relationships. Methods: Participants were 52 sexually experienced African American youth (male = 32, female = 20) between the ages of 15 and 17 recruited from community-based organizations in the United States. Youth participated in individual in-depth qualitative interviews, and data were analyzed using a phenomenological framework. Results: Participants received a variety of messages about sexual behavior and sexual relationships from a range of family members including parents, siblings, grandmothers, aunts/uncles, and cousins. Types of messages clustered into three domains: sexual decision-making, quantity and quality of sexual activity, and sexual health promotion; with themes and sub-themes emerging within each area. Conclusion: Gender differences in the types of messages received are explored, and applications of the findings to the development of family-involved community interventions that promote sexual and reproductive health are discussed.

Keywords: adolescence; African Americans; family systems perspective; qualitative methods (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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