Parents Matter: Associations Between Parent Connectedness and Sexual Health Indicators Among Transgender and Gender‐Diverse Adolescents

Abstract

Transgender and gender-diverse youth experience signifi cant health disparities across numerous domains of health, including sexual health. Among general populations, parent connectedness has been strongly associated with youth sexual health. METHODS : The relationships between parent connectedness and sexual health indicators were investigated among 2,168 transgender and gender-diverse youth who participated in the 2016 Minnesota Student Survey, a statewide population-based survey of ninth-and 11th-grade students. Multivariate logistic regression models, stratifi ed by sex assigned at birth, tested associations between parent connectedness-youth ' s perceptions of parent caring and parent-youth communication-and eight sexual health indicators: ever having had sex, having multiple sexual partners in the past year, pregnancy involvement, substance use at last sex, partner communication about STI prevention, partner communication about pregnancy prevention, condom use at last sex and pregnancy prevention methods at last sex. RESULTS : The level of parent connectedness was inversely associated with ever having had sex, regardless of sex assigned at birth (odds ratios, 0.6-0.8). Although level of connectedness was inversely associated with having multiple sexual partners in the past year and pregnancy involvement among transgender and gender-diverse youth assigned male at birth (0.6-0.7), these relationships were nonsignifi cant among transgender and gender-diverse youth assigned female at birth. Further diff erences in associations between parent connectedness and four sexual risk-reduction behaviors were found between youth assigned male at birth and those assigned female. CONCLUSIONS : As with other populations, parent connectedness promotes sexual health among transgender and gender-diverse youth and may provide a point of intervention.

El uso y no uso del condón en mujeres trans de Colombia: un análisis cualitativo desde el modelo IMB

“…New findings were also observed in this study. The motivational experiences of acceptance and support to gender identity received from their blood and social families were related to motivation for self-care in general 45 ; this was also related to the use of condoms as a protected sexual practice. We noticed that the information, which turned out to be significant for participants, on the use of condoms did not come directly from their blood families, but from their social families (trans friends who become a support network at an emotional, psychological and legal level).…”

“…En este estudio también se observaron hallazgos nuevos. Las experiencias motivadoras de aceptación y apoyo de la identidad de género recibido de sus familias consanguíneas y sociales se relacionan con la motivación al autocuidado de la salud –en general– 45 ; esto mismo se relacionó con el uso del preservativo como práctica sexual protegida. Notamos que la información, que resultó ser significativa para las participantes, sobre el uso del preservativo no provenía directamente de las familias consanguíneas, sino de sus familias sociales (amigas trans que se convierten en red de apoyo a nivel emocional, psicológico y jurídico); este estudio ratifica la importancia de las acciones de las organizaciones de base comunitaria, las fundaciones y ONG, en el cuidado de la salud 28 .…”