Factors influencing parental involvement in sexuality education for adolescents in the People\u27s Republic of China

A cross-sectional survey was conducted to examine Chinese parents\u27 involvement in sexuality education for adolescents. One of the purposes of this study was to explore the factors that have contributed to parental involvement in sexuality education for adolescents. A total of 1,029 Chinese parents with adolescent children ranged in age from 15 to 20 years old were sampled from two cities in mainland China. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data, which tested both the measurement model and the structural model. Other statistical procedures, including the t-test, multiple regression analysis, were performed for data analysis. The majority of Chinese parents reported that they never talked with their adolescent children about specific sexual topics, including how to choose birth control methods, masturbation, sexual intercourse, penis development and normal size, how to manage wet dreams, how to say “no” if you do not want to have sex, and homosexuality. Generally, Chinese parents talked with children about sexual responsibility, sexual beliefs, female reproduction and AIDS/STDs more than sexual behavior and male reproduction. Open parent-adolescent communication, comfort in discussing sexuality with adolescents, perceived knowledge about sexuality, and attitudes toward sexuality education were found to be positively associated with parental involvement in sexuality education for adolescents. Parents who held less traditional beliefs about family and female virginity before marriage were more involved in sexuality education for adolescents. Parent-adolescent relationship and authoritative parenting style were not found to have any effect on parental involvement in sexuality. The results of this study also indicated that urban parents talked with children about sexuality more than rural parents