Many reported that their parents struggled with whether or not to adapt parenting practices (e.g., rules about dating) after they came out. Discussions about sex/dating generally decreased after coming out, but some youth described positive conversations with their parents. Although some felt that their relationships improved after coming out, a larger percentage reported that it put strain on their relationships. Most gay/bisexual adolescent boys felt that their sexual orientation had an influence on their relationships with their parents and discussions about sex/dating.
Online focus groups were conducted with 52 gay/bisexual male youth ages 14-17 years. As such, the goal of the current study was to examine parent-adolescent relationships and parenting practices related to teen sex and dating from the perspective of gay/bisexual adolescent boys. Despite gay/bisexual male youth being at increased risk of HIV, little is known about parental influences on their sexual behavior. Close parent-adolescent relationships and specific parenting practices (e.g., communication about sex, monitoring) are associated with reduced sexual risk behavior among heterosexual youth.
