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 Researchers did in-depth interviews with 25 African American or
Latino father-son pairs, all of whom lived in a New York City
neighborhood where teen pregnancy rates and cases of sexually
transmitted infections are much higher than the national average.
Most of the fathers and sons had talked about sex, but many of the
dads felt ill prepared to explain the intricacies of condom use, and
many of their teens had only a vague sense of the importance of
delaying sex and using "protection," without a clear understanding
of how have safe sex every time they're with a partner, the study
found.
"We found that fathers often endorsed the use of condoms to their
sons in general terms," said lead author Vincent Guilamo-Ramos,
director of the New York City Center for Latino Adolescent and
Family Health.
But fathers seldom felt comfortable giving specific guidance
regarding correct and consistent use or common condom mistakes and
problems, such as late application, breakage, or slippage, Guilamo-Ramos
said by email.
The average ages were 17 for the sons and 44 for the dads - meaning
many of the fathers came of age in the 1980s, when sex education
often focused on abstinence instead of how to make informed
decisions about birth control.
The young men in the study said they wanted to hear these specifics
from their fathers, and have their dads initiate these discussions,
researchers report in Pediatrics.
As one teen put it: "I want him to say that he wants to talk about
something important and it will benefit my future. And then he can
take it from there."
Another teen stressed the importance of having the facts to avoid
mistakes with condoms. He said during the interview: "The most
important thing is using a condom and how to put it on ... the right
way and be aware of what you're doing when you're using a condom."
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Fathers, in contrast, disclosed the need to fill their own knowledge
gaps and expressed interest in having educational resources to help
them prepare to talk with their sons.
Dads also saw conversations with their sons as a way to improve
their own condom use.
"I'm willing to teach him as much as possible," one dad stated,
"...as much as he needs to know, (but) if I'm teaching him, I'm
actually teaching myself."
The study can't prove that father-son conversations about condoms
would impact teens' sexual health or contraceptive choices.
Still, the results highlight the importance of parents having
frequent, ongoing, open communication with teens about sex, said Dr.
Kate Lucey of Northwestern University and the Ann & Robert H. Lurie
Children's Hospital of Chicago.
"Sexually transmitted diseases such as gonorrhea, chlamydia, and
syphilis are all on the rise among adolescents, and condom use is
one of the best ways to prevent STDs," Lucey, the author of an
accompanying editorial, said by email. "Having one-on-one, honest
conversations with your teen about why condom use is important and
the specifics of how to use a condom is critical."
Teens who can't talk to their parents can speak to their doctors
about safe sex, Lucey advised.
Information about correct and consistent condom use is available
online from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
http://bit.ly/2Ad2nIX.
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/2A5wIcb Pediatrics, online December 17, 2018.
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