A Five-Step Process for Interactive Parent–Adolescent Communication About HIV Prevention: Advice From Parents Living With HIV/AIDS

Abstract

AIM This study investigated how parents living with HIV communicated about HIV prevention with their 10–18 year old children. METHODS Interviews with 76 mothers and fathers were analyzed for (1) their experiences discussing HIV prevention with adolescents, and (2) advice on how to best broach HIV-related topics. RESULTS Interactive conversations, where both parents and adolescents participated, were regarded as effective. Parents emphasized that adolescents should have a “voice” (be able to voice their concerns) and a “choice” (have a variety of effective prevention strategies to choose from) during HIV-related talks. DISCUSSION A five step process for interactive communication emerged as a result of these discussions. IMPLICATIONS Health care professionals can facilitate adolescent sexual health by encouraging parents to actively involve their children in discussions about HIV prevention. CONCLUSION Future HIV prevention programs could benefit by providing parents with appropriate tools to foster interactive discussions about sexual health with adolescents.

21st Century Parent–Child Sex Communication in the United States: A Process Review

“…Daughters agreed that mothers’ candidness contributed to communication about sexual risks (Cederbaum, 2012; Cox, Mezulis, & Hyde, 2010). Interactive communication strategies include making sure adolescents’ voices are heard to encourage active exchange of questions and answers, assessing current knowledge and leaving room for future discussions (Edwards & Reis, 2014). …”

Missed opportunities for HIV prevention: Results of a qualitative study on mother-daughter communication

“…Several studies have indicated that a majority of mothers living with HIV/AIDS are comfortable in discussing their status and providing advice on HIV/AIDS risk to their children (Edwards, Reis, & Weber, 2013; O’Sullivan et al, 2005). Having a parent that lives with HIV/AIDS has been shown in studies to motivate and facilitate the discussion of safe sex practices in their HIV negative children (Cederbaum, 2012; Edwards, Reis, & Weber, 2013; Edwards & Reis, 2014; O’Sullivan et al, 2005). Children of parents living with HIV/AIDS that maintain open communication regarding HIV risk have been shown to be engage in limited sexually risky behaviors leading into adulthood (Murphy, Roberts, & Herbeck, 2012).…”

“…The Normative Model of Interpersonal Communication (NMIC) (Goldsmith, 2001) focuses on describing, categorizing and explaining communication that has already occurred, including situational and contextual factors. Specific to parent-child communication, the NMIC is useful because it encourages researchers to provide a thoughtful analysis of conversations that have already taken place (e.g., contexts of HIV prevention conversations) (Edwards & Reis, 2014). NMIC was used to explain the strategies that parents used to discuss HIV prevention with their daughters.…”

Talking to teenagers regarding sexual and reproductive health: Exploration of parents/guardians’ views in Limpopo province, South Africa

“…The communication in most cases are unidirectional and takes the form of a lecture rather than dialogue and the consequences of sex were exaggerated, and what triggered the conversation was often the undesirable behaviour of the adolescents [11,12]. In addition, directive parents who tend to have a more authoritarian communication style do not invite open discussion and questions from children, few fathers provided explicit guidance, open and honest conversations which contributed to 5 making sure adolescents' voices are heard to encourage an active exchange of questions and answers, assessing current knowledge and leaving room for future discussions [14].…”