Patterns and correlates of parental and formal sexual and reproductive health communication for adolescent women in the United States, 2002-2008

Purpose: To investigate patterns and correlates of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) communication among adolescent women in the United States between 2002 and 2008.

Methods: We used data with regard to adolescent women (aged 15-19 years) from the National Survey of Family Growth (between 2002 and 2006-2008, n = 2,326). Multivariate analyses focused on sociodemographic characteristics and SRH communication from parental and formal sources.

Results: Seventy-five percent of adolescent women had received parental communication on abstinence (60%), contraception (56%), sexually transmitted infections (53%), and condoms (29%); 9% received abstinence-only communication. Formal communication (92%) included abstinence (87%) and contraceptive (71%) information; 66% received both, whereas 21% received abstinence-only. Between 2002 and 2006-2008, parental (not formal) communication increased (7%, p < .001), including the abstinence communication (4%, p = .03). Age, sexual experience, education, mother's education, and poverty were positively associated with SRH communication.

Conclusions: Between 2002 and 2008, receipt of parental SRH communication, especially abstinence, was increasingly common among United States adolescents. Strategies to promote comprehensive communication may improve adolescents' SRH outcomes.