Frequent parent-teen sexual health communication was associated with increased teen self-efficacy for sexual and reproductive health information and service seeking, but this depended on how comfortable and informed their parents felt.
Female parents communicated about sexual health most frequently compared to male parents.
Younger parents (aged 18 to 44 years) communicated about sexual health significantly more frequently than older parents.
Black parents communicated about sexual health most frequently compared to other racial groups.
Parents with higher education and higher household income were significantly less likely to communicate about sexual health frequently.
Frequent parent-teen sexual health communication was associated with higher teen self-efficacy for seeking sexual and reproductive health information and services when parents were more informed.
Frequent parent-teen sexual health communication was associated with higher teen self-efficacy when parents were more comfortable with the topic, but lower self-efficacy when parents were not comfortable.
Most teens in the sample identified as heterosexual, and half were male.
This research used a nationally representative survey of 522 parent-teen pairs to examine how often parents talk to their teenagers about sexual health, and whether those conversations help teens feel confident seeking sexual and reproductive health information and services. The study found that not all parents communicate equally — younger parents, female parents, and Black parents talked to their teens about sexual health most often, while parents with higher incomes or college degrees were actually less likely to have these conversations frequently. A key finding was that the quality and context of these conversations matters enormously. When parents felt well-informed about sexual health topics and comfortable discussing them, frequent conversations were linked to teens having greater confidence in seeking out health information and services on their own. However, when parents lacked knowledge or felt uncomfortable with the topic, having more frequent conversations was actually associated with lower teen confidence — suggesting that uninformed or uncomfortable conversations may send confusing or counterproductive messages. This research suggests that simply encouraging parents to talk more often about sexual health is not sufficient on its own. Efforts to support parent-teen communication should also focus on equipping parents with accurate information and helping them build comfort with these discussions, as these factors appear to determine whether frequent communication actually benefits teens' ability to navigate their own sexual and reproductive health needs.
Javidi H, Verlenden J, Chen X, Walsh-Buhi E. (2025). Parent-Teen Sexual Health Communication and Teens' Health Information and Service Seeking.. JAMA network open. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.41712