450 - Parental Comfort Talking to Adolescents about Sexual Health

Comprehensive sexual education has been known to decrease rates of pregnancy, risky sexual behavior and STD transmission in teenagers. Approximately 80% of teenage pregnancies in NYC are unintended. Our community in the Bronx continues to have some of the highest rates of teenage pregnancy. The NYCDOH mandates sex education in school but it does not mandate a specific curriculum. Previous studies show that mothers of younger children with greater self-reported comfort talking to their children about sex had more effective sexual communication.


Objective:

To assess parents comfort levels discussing sex related health topics with their children.


Design/Methods: Self-administered surveys were given to parents at well child visits for children 8-18 years old, in English and Spanish. Parents were then asked to rate their comfort levels discussing sexual health topics included in school curricula.

Results: 112 primary caregivers (PCG) responded, 85.7% were female. Topics that PCGs identified as being most uncomfortable with discussing were oral sex (52.7%), masturbation (50%) and sexual orientation and identity (41%). PCGs felt most comfortable talking about puberty (67.9%), internet safety & pornography (59.8%) and STDs (57.1%). Higher level of PCG education had statistically significant associations with comfort levels at discussing almost all sexual health topics. Other significant findings were that PCGs of younger children (< 13 years of age) reported higher rates of being uncomfortable talking to their children about oral sex (63.5% vs 43.4% in older group) and discussing sexual orientation and identity (48.1% vs 32.1% in older group). Religious affiliation, gender of child, birth order, parental race and age and number of children in the family were not significant.

Conclusion(s): This data found common areas of comfort and discomfort when PCGs discuss sexual health with their children. Higher PCG level of education was associated with self-reported comfort when parents discussed sexual health issues with their children. Other traits, like religion or ethnicity were not significant predictors. It is important that providers identify PCGs that don’t feel comfortable talking to their children about sexual health so that pediatricians can provide appropriate counseling and guidance