Sexual Risk Behavior Trajectories in Adolescence and the Transition to Adulthood: The Role of Mother and Father Support

Background:Scholars have underscored the need to integrate family processes into HIV prevention. Parents can be vital positive influences on youth, though few studies have investigated how mother and father support are related to sexual risk behavior. Finally, little is known about how support received from mothers may differ from support received from fathers in reducing sexual risk behavior in African American youth. Methods:This study examines the influence of social support from mothers and fathers on sexual risk trajectories and its correlates in a predominantly African American sample [(N=627; 53% female; M = 14.86 years (SD=.64)] followed from adolescence to young adulthood. We used hierarchical growth curve modeling to examine the relationship between condom use, substance use, psychological distress and parental social support prospectively. Results:We found condom use decreased over time, though it decelerated in later years. Condom use was associated negatively with psychological distress and substance use. When we included maternal and paternal support, both were associated with more condom use over time. Furthermore, the inclusion of parental support in the model diminished the relationship between psychological distress and condom use over time. Discussion:Our findings suggest that paternal and maternal support matter. We discuss the implications of our findings for sexual health education programs.