Transcript Sexual Health in Latino Adolescents Presentation By: Alejandra Gudiño and Kim Allen Center for Adolescent Sexuality, Pregnancy and Parenting Human Development and Family Studies.

Sexual Health in Latino
Adolescents
Presentation By:
Alejandra Gudiño and Kim Allen
Center for Adolescent Sexuality, Pregnancy and
Parenting
Human Development and Family Studies
Center for Adolescents Sexuality,
Pregnancy and Parenting.
The Mission of CASPP is to :
Bring together a Multi-disciplinary Team of
Professionals and Laypersons to Collaborate
to provide Educational Programs and
Conduct Applied Research to better
understand how to Prevent and Eliminate the
Negative Effects of High Risk Sexual
Behaviors and Early Childbearing.
Programs We Implement
 Missouri Volunteer Resource Mothers;
 Maltreatment and Adolescent Pregnancy and
Parenting Program;
 Adolescent Mother Journaling Program;
 Making Proud Choices;
 Connecting for Baby;
 Connecting for Children.
Funding
 MO Department of Elementary and
Secondary Education (DESE);
 MO Department of Social Services (DSS);
 US Department of Health and Human
Services
Today’s Goals
 Present information on the need for
addressing sexual health with Latino youth
 Demonstrate the need to recognize Latin
parent’s strengths and values
 Assist service providers in offering culturally
grounded programs that include parents to
help shape a consistent message for youth.
Why Latino Youth
 Half (51%) Latino teens get pregnant al least
once before their 20th birthday.
 Latino adolescent population grew 42% between
1990-2002
 IN the next 20 years Latino teen population will
growth much more quickly than the overall teen
population in the U.S.
Why Latino Youth
 Is projected to increase by another 50% by
2025
 At that point Latinos will compromise 24% of
the US teenage population
Teen Pregnancy Rates by Race/Ethnicity,
1980-2006 Rate
(Pregnancies per 1,000 girls aged 15-19)
120
90
60
30
0
80 982 984 986 988 990 992 994 996 998 000 002 004 06*
9
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
2
20
Source: (3) www.teenpregnancy.org
Hispanic
Black
American Indian
Total
Non-Hispanic
White
Asian/Pacif ic
Islander
Adolescence
Adolescent
 Awkward period between sexual maturational
and the attainment of adult roles and
responsibilities;
 Begins with the domain of physical/biological
changes related to puberty, but it ends in the
domain of social roles;
 Encompasses the transition from the status of
a child (one who requires monitoring) to that
of an adult. (responsible for behavior)
Adolescence
Puberty
Romantic Motivation
Sexual Interest
Emotional Intensity
Sleep Cycle Changes
Appetite
Risk for Affective
Disorders (girls)
Increase in risk seeking, and
novelty seeking
Age/Experience
Planning
Logic, Reading
Inhibitory Control
Problem Solving
Understanding Consequences
Affect regulation
Goal Setting and pursuit
Judgment and abstract thinking
Making Proud Choices
Teaching the Adolescence Brain




A young adolescent brain can hold seven
items of information, plus or minus two items,
in working memory;
The addition of emotion can help students
remember;
The brain is social and requires interaction in
order to develop properly;
Practice/rehearsal is critical to learning for the
long term.
Making Proud Choices
Teaching the Adolescence Brain
 We take in more information visually than
through any other sense.
Making Proud Choices
Decision making and Latino
Parents’ Role
 There is only one way for a teen to avoid
pregnancy: abstain from sex
 The next best way to avoid pregnancy is to
use contraception
 Both options are difficult for youth and both
required: motivation & accurate information
Parents and teens agree: When it comes to
talking about sex, parents often don’t know
what to say, how to say it, or when to start
Source: (5)Voices Heard 2007
Some of the latest reports on Latino
pregnancy prevention affirm this idea:
 94% of Latino teens think it is important to be
given a strong message that they should not
have sex until they are at least out of high school
 74% of sexually experienced Latina girls and
62% of Latino boys wish they had waited longer
to have sex.
 70% of Latino teens want more information
about both abstinence and contraception.
Latino Parents Have Many Strengths.
Can parenting intervention influence
adolescent behavior?

Connection, closeness, and trust: High levels of
parents’ connectedness are associated with
delayed sexual initiation.

Communication: Specific communication about
sexual activity is more effective than general
communication. While Latin parents appreciate
the need for open communication, they find
engaging in these conversation difficult.
Latino Parents Have Many Strengths.
Can parenting intervention influence
adolescent behavior?

Control and discipline: The presence and enforcement
of dating rules may delay onset of sexual intercourse.
Parental control may be related to more positive
outcomes.

Monitoring: Age-appropriate parental monitoring of
adolescents’ whereabouts protects against intention or
actual sexually risky behaviors.

Traditional Latino family values: Familismo has been
associated with decreased influence of peers on risktaking behaviors. (10)
Five Protective Factors
Department of Health and Human Services, 2009
 Nurturing and attachment: Building a close bond
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


helps parents better understand, respond to, and
communicate with their children.
Knowledge of parenting and of child and youth
development: Knowing what to look for at each age
and how to help their children reach their full potential
is important.
Parental resilience: Recognizing signs of stress and
enhancing problem-solving skills have better support
in times of need.
Social connections: Parents with an extensive
network of family, friends, and neighbors have better
support in times of need.
Concrete support to parents: Access to resources
and services that help families meet their needs.
Wrapping up
Family Matters…
So what does that mean for professionals
working with Latino youth? :
It means that Latino adolescents will
benefit greatly from programs that
acknowledge and build on the strengths
of Latino families.