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Schedule:
Saturday, January 13, 2024
Marquis BR Salon 6, ML 2 (Marriott Marquis Washington DC)
* noted as presenting author
Background and Purpose: Parent-child sex communications (PCSC) have historically been used to help adolescents develop and make appropriate sexual health decisions. When parents and their children engaged in various sexual health conversations, the children were more likely to have: i) increased condom and birth control use, ii) delayed sexual debut, iii) more open conversations with sexual partners regarding sexual wants and desires, iv) developed and clearer sense of their sexual autonomy, and v) lower risk for sexually transmitted diseases/sexually transmitted infections (STD/STI) and HIV infection. This topic is most important for gay males, as they encounter various health disparities associated with mental health, and STD/STI and HIV infections. One way to reduce these health disparities is the use of mothers as educators, especially since parent-child sexual communication (PCSC) helps with increased STD/STI and HIV testing, and decreased mental health concerns. However, there are limited insights on mother-gay son conversations. This project examined the ways that mothers curated conversations with their gay sons about sexual identity, and sexual behaviors. More specifically, how are mothers engaging in conversations with their gay sons about sexual behaviors, and/or sexual health.
Methods: A search of electronic databases identified peer-reviewed studies published between 2015 and 2022. Eligible studies were U.S based parent-gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender (GLBT) child communications on sexuality and sexual behaviors. We conducted systematic, primary reviews of eligible papers to abstract data on study outcomes.
Results: The ten (N= 10) articles used were synthesized to highlight some unique insights. First, of the ten articles in this project, only two addressed focused specifically on content of mother-gay son discussions. The other studies delineated differences between mothers, fathers, and sons. All studies showed that mothers were the primary parent that gay men discussed their sexuality and sexual behaviors. Second, though some mothers began conversations early, the frequency and intensity of the conversations increased after gay sons came out. Third, mothers vacillated between discouraging and affirming. Fourth, most of the conversations between mothers and sons were more vague than specific, and primarily had content related to heterosexual sexual behaviors.
Discussion: The selected and reviewed articles pointed out that mothers overall had a positive impact on sexual behaviors, sexual orientation development, and overall communications The data also showed support for the notion that helping mothers to holistically understand sexual identity and sexual orientation may having long term lasting impacts in reducing the rates of new HIV infections in gay men. Lastly, these data suggested that mothers and gay sons may need additional supports regarding the most effective ways to engage in more inclusive, though sensitive, sexual health and sexual behavior conversations.