Recent research discovered that black and Latino dads often underestimate the point at which their teenage boys start having sex, which causes them to get less information on safe sex practices.
The research study examined the relationship between dads’ knowledge of their teenage sons’ sexual conduct and their advice on safe sex. It was published in the Annals of Family Medicine.
They discovered that dads’ opinions about when their boys are ready for sex and their recommendations for using condoms are correlated, but they often diverge from the time when their sons actually start having sex.
Researchers from the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing conducted a study on the sexual behavior and knowledge of 191 black and Latino youths, aged 15 to 19, as well as their dads, in the Mott Haven area of the South Bronx.
They discovered that a lot of black and Latino dads often misjudged their kids’ preparedness for sexuality. Before offering advice on condom usage, dads took into account other indicators of maturity than age, such as hitting certain milestones and being ready for safe sex.
It’s not a reliable indicator since parents often underestimate how sexually active their teenage son is. Because it implies that the teenage boy, the young person between the ages of 15 and 19, might have already begun having sex and their father is unaware of it, stated Vincent Guilamo-Ramos, the lead researcher for the study and the executive director of the nursing school’s Institute for Policy Solutions. Guilamo-Ramos is also a nurse practitioner.
According to research, health care professionals should advise parents and families to start giving their kids safe sex counseling far in advance of when they think they’re ready.
Over the last ten years, there has been a decline in teenage sexual activity, but worryingly, condom usage has also increased. Researchers have noted that rates of adolescent unintended pregnancies and STDs among young males have both grown concurrently.
When compared to other racial or ethnic groups, black and Latino populations are disproportionately afflicted by HIV; of those aged 13 and above, 40% are black and 25% are Native Americans.
The research found that teenagers who identify as black or Latino have greater challenges seeking medical attention after adverse outcomes related to their sexual health.
Researchers found that parental interventions work well for black and Latino families and as a component of a larger strategy to address disparities in sexual health. Teens are more likely to wait to have sex or to practice safe sex when their parents are active in their sexual education.
Guilamo-Ramos noted that a significant number of his Latino and black teenage patients often expressed the need for their parents to be more active in their sexual education.
Working with young men, especially Latino and African American ones, Guilamo-Ramos saw that there were issues and that these were areas in which the men wanted their dads to provide them with real assistance. “The fathers frequently didn’t know if they should talk to their sons about these subjects, like their sexual health.”
Guilamo-Ramos expressed her desire for Latino and Black families to understand the value of fathers and their important role in the home, not only for financial reasons or as enforcers of rules, but also for the relationship that fathers have with their children, especially their teenage sons.
SOURCE: NBC NEWS
