The content of African American mothers' discussions with their adolescents about sex.

Using a focus group approach, the investigators sought to explore the role of African American mothers in the education of their adolescents about sexuality including the provision of factual information and transmission of values. A focus group guide was developed and was used by a trained facilitator to direct discussions in three focus groups conducted during a 1-week period. Participants in the focus groups were mothers who had at least one adolescent between the ages of 13 and 15. A total of 29 mothers participated in the groups. All interview data were transcribed, and analysis was conducted using the constant comparative approach. Three major themes emerged from the analysis: 'The Big Talk,' 'Sex Is Killing Now,' and 'Don't Let Them Know It's Embarrassing.' The findings revealed that mothers felt they talked frequently with their adolescents about sexual issues, but felt that their sons were less likely than their daughters to discuss sexual concerns with them. Popular topics of discussion with daughters included menstruation and pregnancy; with boys, condom use. Participants expressed concern about the negative consequences of teen sex including pregnancy, contraction of sexually transmitted diseases, and the human immunodeficiency virus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]