“Because You're on Birth Control, It Automatically Makes You Promiscuous or Something”: Latina Women's Perceptions of Parental Approval to Use Reproductive Health Care

Abstract Purpose To explore the perceptions of Latina women and healthcare providers about the role of parents in the young women's access to sexual and reproductive healthcare services. Methods This qualitative study drew on 11 focus groups conducted with 95 young adult Latina women (ages 18–2...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of adolescent health 2013-11, Vol.53 (5), p.617-622
Main Authors: Caal, Selma, Ph.D, Guzman, Lina, Ph.D, Berger, Amanda, Ph.D, Ramos, Manica, M.A, Golub, Elisabeth, M.A.T
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Analysis. Health state
Attitude to Health
Biological and medical sciences
Birth Control
Contraception - psychology
Cultural factors
Cultural Values
Culture
Developmental psychology
Epidemiology
Familismo
Female
Females
Focus Groups
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
General aspects
Health care
Health Services Accessibility
Hispanic Americans - psychology
Humans
Latin American Cultural Groups
Latin American people
Latinas
Medical sciences
Parent-Child Relations
Parental communication
Parental Consent - psychology
Parental influences
Parents
Pediatrics
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Public health. Hygiene
Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine
Reproductive and sexual health
Reproductive health
Reproductive Health Services
Sexual Behavior
Sexual Reproduction
Social Support
Social Values
United States
Virginity
Women
Womens Health Care
Young Adult
Young Adults
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Summary:Abstract Purpose To explore the perceptions of Latina women and healthcare providers about the role of parents in the young women's access to sexual and reproductive healthcare services. Methods This qualitative study drew on 11 focus groups conducted with 95 young adult Latina women (ages 18–24 years) and 3 focus groups with 24 health providers recruited from clinics and programs with large Latino client-bases. The data were analyzed using an inductive approach. Results Young adult Latinas and providers emphasized that parents play an important role in young adults' access to sexual and reproductive health services. Some young women perceived parental support to access these services while others did not. The primary reason young adult Latinas and providers felt parents did not provide support was due to parental transmission of cultural values and beliefs, specifically: (1) a high value placed on virginity; (2) a presumption that unmarried women are not sexually active and therefore do not require sexual and reproductive health services; and (3) a belief that conversations about sex and reproductive health services encourage sexual activity and promiscuity. Conclusions Findings suggest that young adult Latinas perceive parents as playing an important role in their sexual and reproductive health seeking behaviors into adulthood. Parents appear to influence their young adult daughters by transmitting the cultural values they have on virginity and familismo , which stresses the importance of family, familial solidarity, and adherence to traditional gender roles within the family structure.
ISSN:1054-139X
1879-1972
DOI:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2013.05.003