The Gay Teen: Educational Practice and Theory for Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Adolescents

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Thoma BC, Huebner DM. Parental monitoring, parent-adolescent communication about sex, and sexual risk among young men who have sex with men. AIDS and Behavior. 2014; 18:1604–1614. doi: 10.1007/s10461-014-0717-z. [ PMC free article] [ PubMed] [ CrossRef] [ Google Scholar] Other youth described hostile exchanges with their parents, including threats about HIV and derogatory language. One explained: “I argue with my dad a lot as well, and sometimes they are about my sexual orientation. He and I were arguing once and he called me and my ex ‘faggots' and that’s the worst I've ever been mad at him” (15 years old, White, gay, out to parents). Another adolescent described his parents' negative reaction when he came out: Saltzburg S. Narrative therapy pathways for re-authoring with parents of adolescents coming-out as lesbian, gay, and bisexual. Contemporary Family Therapy. 2007; 29:57–69. [ Google Scholar] Widman L, Choukas-Bradley S, Noar SM, Nesi J, Garrett K. Parent-Adolescent Sexual Communication and Adolescent Safer Sex Behavior: A Meta-Analysis. JAMA Pediatrics. 2016; 170:52–61. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2015.2731. [ PMC free article] [ PubMed] [ CrossRef] [ Google Scholar]

CDC. Diagnoses of HIV infection in the United States and dependent areas. 2014 HIV Surveillance Report. 2014; 26 [ Google Scholar] Mustanski B, Newcomb M, Garofalo R. Mental health of lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth: A developmental resiliency perspective. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Social Services. 2011; 23:204–225. doi: 10.1080/10538720.2011.561474. [ PMC free article] [ PubMed] [ CrossRef] [ Google Scholar] An additional 8% reported that their sexual orientation had a positive impact on their relationship with one parent, but a negative impact on their relationship with another parent. Adolescents typically described mothers as more supportive and fathers as unsupportive or disinterested. For example: MacQueen KM, McLellan E, Kay K, Milstein B. Codebook development for team-based qualitative analysis. Field Methods. 1998; 10:31. [ Google Scholar] DuBois LZ, Macapagal KR, Rivera Z, Prescott TL, Ybarra ML, Mustanski B. To have sex or not to have sex? An online focus group study of sexual decision making among sexually experienced and inexperienced gay and bisexual adolescent men. Archives of Sexual Behavoir. 2015; 44:2027–2040. doi: 10.1007/s10508-015-0521-5. [ PMC free article] [ PubMed] [ CrossRef] [ Google Scholar]The current findings have important implications for the development of family-based HIV prevention programs for gay/bisexual adolescent males. To date, no such programs exist, most likely because people believed it was not feasible to include gay/bisexual youth and their parents in HIV prevention programs. However, adolescents in our sample expressed a desire to be closer with their parents and to be able to talk about sex/dating. This is encouraging, as it suggests that gay/bisexual male youth may be willing to participate in family-based HIV prevention programs to learn skills to improve their relationships and to have these challenging conversations. Family-based HIV prevention programs for heterosexual youth typically focus on increasing sexual health knowledge and parent-child communication ( Wight & Fullerton, 2013) and they are effective at doing so ( Santa Maria, Markham, Bluethmann, & Mullen, 2015). Aspects of these interventions are likely to be beneficial for all parents (e.g., communication skills training), but adaptations may need to be made for parents of gay/bisexual adolescent males. In previous research, young gay/bisexual males have expressed that parents can facilitate conversations about sex by starting at an early age, being knowledgeable about sexual orientation and sexual health, and being non-assuming and non-judgmental ( Rose et al., 2014). Our findings provide insight into additional intervention adaptations that may be required for parents of gay/bisexual male youth. Rosario M. Implications of Childhood Experiences for the Health and Adaptation of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Individuals: Sensitivity to Developmental Process in Future Research. Psycholology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity. 2015; 2:214–224. doi: 10.1037/sgd0000120. [ PMC free article] [ PubMed] [ CrossRef] [ Google Scholar] Hadley W, Brown LK, Lescano CM, Kell H, Spalding K, Diclemente R, et al. Project, S.S.G. Parent-adolescent sexual communication: associations of condom use with condom discussions. AIDS and Behavior. 2009; 13:997–1004. doi: 10.1007/s10461-008-9468-z. [ PMC free article] [ PubMed] [ CrossRef] [ Google Scholar]

At one point, I had a boyfriend who was a senior in high school. My mother adored him and did not bother to talk to me of the dangers of STDs and unprotected sex… But, around eighth grade, which is about two years ago, I had a girlfriend who I dated for about a year. My mother lectured me greatly and urged me to use protection due to the fact she could get pregnant. At one point she even gave me condoms and lubricant. I find it strange that my mother would not discuss the other things that come along with unprotected sex, like STDs, when I was in an intimate relationship with a male. I feel as though she thought that because neither of us could get pregnant that there was no danger. This unsettles me greatly. -year-old, White, questioning/unsure, out to parents Adolescents who were not out to their parents believed that their parents would treat them differently if they knew about their sexual orientation. They explained that their parents assume that nothing sexual is happening between them and their male friends, so if they knew that they were gay/bisexual, then the rules would likely change. For example: Floyd FJ, Stein TS, Harter KSM, Allison A, Nye CL. Gay, lesbian, and bisexual youths: Separation-individuation, parental attitudes, identity consolidation, and well-being. Journal of Youth & Adolescence. 1999; 28:719–739. [ Google Scholar] Stattin H, Kerr M. Parental monitoring: a reinterpretation. Child Development. 2000; 71:1072–1085. [ PubMed] [ Google Scholar]Parsons JT, Siegel AW, Cousins JH. Late adolescent risk-taking: effects of perceived benefits and perceived risks on behavioral intentions and behavioral change. Journal of Adolescence. 1997; 20:381–392. doi: 10.1006/jado.1997.0094. [ PubMed] [ CrossRef] [ Google Scholar] Some adolescents reported changes in parental monitoring after coming out, particularly because their parents were unsure if male friends were romantic interests. For instance: Kubicek K, Beyer WJ, Weiss G, Iverson E, Kipke MD. In the dark: young men's stories of sexual initiation in the absence of relevant sexual health information. Health Education & Behavior. 2010; 37:243–263. doi: 10.1177/1090198109339993. [ PMC free article] [ PubMed] [ CrossRef] [ Google Scholar]