Approximately 50% of new HIV infections in the US occur in teenagers, with African American females making up a disproportionate number. The purpose of this study was to identify factors that could encourage delaying sexual debut. Twenty-eight African American mothers and their early adolescent daughters were recruited from four inner-city community centers. Seven separate focus groups were conducted for mothers and daughters using principles of Participatory Action Research. Four codes emerged from the data: social norms regarding sex, males, self-esteem, and family structure. These codes support the importance of an intervention to facilitate sexual communication between a mother and her daughter.

Findings from this study could assist in developing interventions geared towards open sexual communication with the goal of delaying sexual debut.