Factors associated with gender differences in parent-adolescent relationships that delay first intercourse in Japan

Abstract

Background: To determine the factors associated with gender differences in parent-adolescent relationships that delay first intercourse in Japan.

Methods: Japanese high school students aged 15-18 years (female = 632 and male = 636) completed a questionnaire that evaluated the relationship with their parents. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to investigate the parent-adolescent relationship (including the quality of parent-adolescent communication, the frequency of parent-adolescent sexual communication, parental disapproval of the adolescent's sexual behavior, parental monitoring, parental psychological control/autonomy, and satisfaction with the parent-adolescent relationship) and the adolescent's sexual behavior. We explored student gender differences in each of the relationship patterns: mother-female student, mother-male student, father-female student, and father-male student.

Results: Parental monitoring was statistically associated with delay of first intercourse in female students. While the same influences were present for male students, they also were influenced by parental disapproval of the adolescent's sexual behavior. Furthermore, more parental communication about acquired immunodeficiency syndrome was related to delaying an adolescent's first intercourse except for the relationship of father-female student.

Conclusions: This study suggests that gender differences in parent-adolescent relationships delay first intercourse in Japan.