Australian Parents' Beliefs About Adolescent Sexuality and HIV/AIDS

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Abstract
Parents of 16-year-olds (N= 98) were administered a questionnaire which assessed their beliefs about their own and other teenagers' sexual behaviour and attitudes and concerns about HIV/ AIDS. They were also asked about their communication with their teenage child about sexuality and HIV/AIDS prevention. Parents tended to view their own teenager in a more positive light than adolescents generally. For example, parents rated their teenagers' sexual behaviours and attitudes more conservatively than they did teenagers ‘in general,’ and assumed that the former had a lower risk for HIV transmission. A functional basis for parental beliefs is presented as an explanation of these discrepancies and the implications for HIV/AIDS education are discussed.