Parent Perspectives on the Prevention of Unintended Pregnancy and HIV/STIs Among Latino Adolescents

Background and Purpose: Latina adolescents continue to have the highest birth rate of any ethnic group in the U.S. despite overall declines in adolescent pregnancy over the last decade. This trend is partly attributable to racial/ethnic differences in unprotected sexual behavior. As a result, 76% of pregnancies among Latino adolescents are unplanned and rates of HIV/STIs are significantly higher among Latino adolescents when compared to whites. The factors that drive unintended pregnancy and STI transmission among Latino adolescents are as diverse as their communities. The purpose of this research was to examine parent perspectives regarding unintended adolescent pregnancy in the context of a larger community-based research effort involving a school committed to addressing teen pregnancy, HIV/STIs, and substance use.

Methods: Parents were recruited from a charter high school located in a large, Midwestern city that serves a predominately Latino population of low-income. An English/Spanish language flier was mailed to every student’s home address (n=200). Eighteen (n=18) Spanish speaking parents responded to the recruitment flier and participated in one of three Spanish language focus groups. Participants responded to a series of open-ended questions regarding their perception of the factors that contribute to unintended pregnancy in the school, how unintended pregnancies can be prevented, and the school’s role in adolescent pregnancy prevention. Interviews were held at the school, conducted in Spanish, and audio-recorded. Participants received a $35 gift card for their participation. Interviews were transcribed verbatim in Spanish, translated into English, and analyzed using a template coding approach in Atlas.ti Version 7.

Results: Parent-youth communication was identified as the primary target for preventing risky sexual behavior. Communication style, content about reproductive health and STIs, parental supervision of youth, and mutual trust emerged as the most salient aspects of parent-youth communication across the three groups. Generational differences in technology and use of media, communication about reproductive health, and cultural values, and the structure of parental employment were cited as challenges to effective monitoring and communication about reproductive health. Need was expressed for the school to teach reproductive health content in the context of healthy relationships and respect for self and family. Support was requested to facilitate parent-youth communication about reproductive health.

Conclusions & Implications: Findings underscore the importance of the parent-youth relationship in unintended pregnancy from Latino parents’ perspectives. Prevention efforts that address pregnancy and STI prevention among Latinos in school settings may benefit from approaches that couple school based reproductive health education with parent-based curricula.