Parent-Adolescent Communication on Sexual and Reproductive Health

Effective dialogue between parents and adolescents about sexual and reproductive health (SRH) is recognised as a critical component in promoting healthy sexual development, delaying sexual debut and reducing risk of unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections. Such communication fosters accurate knowledge, shapes positive attitudes and supports informed decision-making during a period of heightened vulnerability. The quality of these exchanges is influenced by parental comfort and self-efficacy, cultural norms that may label SRH topics as taboo, gender dynamics within the family and siblings’ roles as information conduits. Open, bidirectional conversations that begin early and adapt to adolescent maturity are associated with greater contraceptive awareness, more timely health-seeking behaviour and stronger parent-child bonds. Globally, interventions that train parents in age-appropriate vocabulary, challenge restrictive norms and integrate SRH dialogue into broader parenting programmes show promise for enhancing adolescents’ well-being and reducing health inequalities.

Research from Nature Portfolio

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Parent-Adolescent Communication on Sexual and Reproductive Health publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in parent-adolescent communication on sexual and reproductive health across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Sexual debut: The first experience of sexual intercourse, often used as a marker of early sexual activity.

Sexually transmitted infection (STI): An infection passed from one person to another through sexual contact, including chlamydia, gonorrhoea and HIV.

Cross-sectional study: An observational research design that analyses data from a population at a single point in time to identify prevalence and associations.

Qualitative study: A research approach that collects non-numerical data, such as interview transcripts or focus group discussions, to explore perceptions and experiences.

Parental self-efficacy: A parent’s belief in their own ability to communicate effectively and guide their adolescent through SRH topics.

References

1. “If your mother does not teach you, the world will…”: a qualitative study of parent-adolescent communication on sexual and reproductive health issues in Border districts of eastern Uganda. BMC Public Health (2023).
2. Parent–adolescent communication on sexual and reproductive health issues and associated factors among secondary public-school students in Gondar town, northwest Ethiopia: an institution based cross-sectional study. Frontiers in Public Health (2024).
3. A review of studies of parent-child communication about sexuality and HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa. Reproductive Health (2011).