Improving Comfort About Sex Communication Between Parents and Their Adolescents: Practice-Based Research Within a Teen Sexuality Group

Abstract

Unplanned pregnancy and the contraction of sexually transmitted diseases continue to be prevalent problems among adolescents. These problems often result in adverse health, social, and economic consequences for teenagers and their families. Previous research has explored the impact of parent–teen communication on reducing risk-taking sexual behaviors by adolescents. Discomfort with this topic of discussion has been identified as a barrier to effective familial sex communication. Currently, there is little practice-based information concerning interventions designed to improve communication comfort about sexually related issues within families, especially between parents and their adolescents. Therefore, this article describes a time-limited psychoeducational group designed to increase familial comfort in communicating about sex. In four group sessions, six courtordered adolescents between the ages of 14 and 18 and their parents were provided information on teen sexuality along with skill building in the area of communication and decision making. At the end of this practice-based group, evaluation of the data indicated significant improvements in communication comfort levels among participants. The results are discussed, and the limitations of the intervention are reviewed. Implications for future research and practice with parents and their adolescents are also examined. [Brief Treatment and Crisis Intervention 5:379–390 (2005)]