Parental Protectiveness and Unprotected Sexual Activity among Latino Adolescent Mothers and Fathers

• Published in: AIDS education and prevention Vol. 21; no. 5; pp. 88 - 102
• Main Authors: Lesser, Janna, Koniak-Griffin, Deborah, Huang, Rong, Takayanagi, Sumiko, Cumberland, William G
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Guilford Press 01.10.2009
• Subjects: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome; Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS); Adolescent; Adolescent Behavior - ethnology; Adolescent Behavior - psychology; Adolescents; Adult; AIDS; AIDS/HIV; Attachment Behavior; Behavior Change; Central Cities; Contraception; Couples; Early Parenthood; Fathers; Female; Hispanic Americans; Hispanic Americans - psychology; HIV; HIV Infections - ethnology; HIV Infections - prevention & control; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Intervention; Latin American Cultural Groups; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Mothers; Parent Child Relationship; Parent-Child Relations; Parenting - psychology; Parenting Styles; Parents & parenting; Personality Traits; Pregnancy; Prevention; Program Evaluation; Resilience; Risk-Taking; Sexual behavior; Sexuality; Sexually transmitted diseases; Socioeconomic Factors; STD; Surveys and Questionnaires; Teenage pregnancy; Teenagers; Unsafe Sex - prevention & control; Unsafe Sex - psychology; Unsafe Sex - statistics & numerical data; Urban Areas; Womens health; Young Adult; United States > US
• DOI: 10.1521/aeap.2009.21.5_supp.88
• ISSN: 0899-9546

Latino pregnant and parenting adolescents living in inner cities are one of the populations at risk for acquiring HIV. Although teen parenthood has been predominantly looked at with a focus on potential adverse physical, emotional, and socioeconomic outcomes for the mother and child; a growing body of literature has documented the strengths and resiliency of young parents. "Respeto/Proteger": Respecting and Protecting Our Relationships is a culturally rooted couple-focused and asset-based HIV prevention program developed for young Latino parents. In this program, parental protectiveness (defined as the parent-child emotional attachment that positively influences parental behavior) is viewed as an intrinsic and developing critical factor that supports resiliency and motivates behavioral change. The primary purpose of this article is to describe the longitudinal randomized study evaluating the effect of this intervention on unprotected vaginal sex 6 months post intervention and to determine whether parental protectiveness had a moderating effect on the intervention. The unique features of our database allow for examination of both individual and couple outcomes.