Parent-adolescent communication about sex in Morelos, Mexico: does it impact sexual behaviour?

Objectives Parent-adolescent communication about sexuality has been shown to influence adolescents' sexual behaviour. This study aims to describe communication about sex between Mexican parents and adolescents, and its relation to age at first intercourse and condom use.Methods Cross-sectional study with self-administered questionnaires of first year students at 23 high schools. Communication was divided into three themes: biological aspects, risks associated with sexual behaviour, and prevention. For sexually active adolescents, discussion timing was determined to have occurred prior to, or after sexual initiation. Analysis included logistic regression models stratifying by discussion timing.Results Overall 5,461 questionnaires were analysed. Among male respondents 24.3% and among females 10.6% stated that they were sexually active. As many as 83.1% reported having spoken with parents about sexual relations. Communication was more common with mothers. Discussions about risk and prevention prior to sexual...