Cultural Influences on Hispanic Mother-Daughter Communication About Sex

Introduction: Hispanic adolescents are at high risk of engaging in sexual risk-taking behaviors. Parent-child communication protects against such behaviors. Among Hispanic families, it is critical to explore how cultural characteristics influence mothers-daughter communication about sex. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand how cultural values influence mothers' communication about sex with their early adolescent Hispanic daughters. Methodology: Twenty-one Hispanic mothers of seventh-grade daughters participated in this focus group study. Directed content analysis was used to analyze the data. Results: Four Hispanic cultural values (familismo, machismo, marianismo, and respeto) and how each value influences mother-daughter communication about sex were identified. While mothers want to protect their daughters, there are multiple cultural norms that made it challenging for them to have critical conversations. Discussion: The study informs researchers and clinicians how to facilitate parent-child conversations about sex and to equip parents to teach their children how to avoid engaging in sexual risk-taking behaviors.