Parental communication on sexual and reproductive health and contraceptive knowledge among adolescents in indigenous contexts, Mexico
Estibeyesbo Said Plascencia-Nieto, José Á. Hernández-Mariano, Lourdes Campero, Celia Hubert, Fátima Estrada, Raffaela Schiavon, Mónica A. Cureño-Díaz, Edna E. G. Vences, Aremis VillalobosBACKGROUND:
Adolescent pregnancy has a profound impact on young mothers, their families, and their communities. In rural and indigenous areas, this effect is exacerbated by structural factors such as poverty, educational gaps, gender inequality, and discrimination against indigenous peoples. The aim is to analyze the association between parental communication about sexual and reproductive health and adolescents’ knowledge of contraceptive methods in some rural communities of Mexico.
METHODS AND MATERIALS:
This study used a cross-sectional design based on the secondary analysis of data from a school-based survey of adolescents (12 to 15 years) in Mexico. Data were collected using a structured, self-administered questionnaire to assess adolescents’ sexual and reproductive health knowledge and communication with parents. The final analytic sample included 911 adolescents with complete information. The primary outcome was contraceptive knowledge, and the main exposure was parent–adolescent communication. We used frequencies and percentages to describe the study variables and logistic regression models to evaluate the association between communication with parents and knowledge of contraceptive methods.
RESULTS:
Fifty percent of adolescents knew two contraceptive methods. While 86.3% were familiar with oral contraceptive pills, only one-third knew where to obtain them. Adolescents who discussed sex and pregnancy prevention with parents were more likely to know contraceptive methods than those who never discussed these topics.
CONCLUSION:
Communication with parents is positively associated with contraceptive knowledge, but gaps remain in functional understanding. Gender and cultural differences influence these dynamics, with stronger associations among females and nonspeakers of indigenous languages.