Yale University

Project S.T.E.P. (Sex Talk to Empower Parents): Parents as HIV/STI Prevention Agents for Gay, Bisexual, and Queer Adolescents Through Comprehensive Parent-Child Sex Communication

Principle Investigator(s):

Funder: National Institute of Mental Health
Project period: 08/02/2018 - 08/01/2019
Grant Type: Pilot Project

Abstract Text:

At present, little is known about the perceptions of parents with GBQ adolescent males regarding parent-child sex communication. Project S.T.E.P (Sex Talk to Empower Parents) will begin to address this gap in knowledge, and will lay the groundwork for the development of age-appropriate, sexuality-specific sex education by parents for their GBQ sons. The suggestions from parents of GBQ adolescent males on the ways in which inclusive sex communication can be initiated and carried out by other parents will eventually lead to the development of appropriate interventions. Thus, this study may ultimately help curb the HIV and STI infection rates of this high-risk population, who are soon to be beyond the influence of direct parental supervision.

Specific Aims:

  1. Aim 1: To describe the perceptions of parents regarding non-heteronormative parent-child sex communication, including identifying HIV and sex-related topics for which parents feel they need to discuss and not discuss with GBQ adolescent males.
  2. Aim 2: To elicit suggestions from parents on the barriers and facilitators to initiating and sustaining non-heteronormative parent-child sex and HIV communication by providing comments on the usability of an educational material tailored for them, whether they have or have not had sex communication with their children.
  3. Aim 3: To solicit from parent-child dyads their feedback on an emergent educational module for inclusive parent-child sex communication.