Is perceived parental monitoring associated with sexual risk behaviors of young Black males?

This study determined whether perceived parental monitoring is associated with any of twelve selected outcomes related to sexual risk behaviors of young Black males. Recruitment occurred in clinics diagnosing and treating sexually transmitted infections. Young Black males living with a parent or guardian (N= 324) were administered a 9-item scale assessing level of perceived parental monitoring. The obtained range was 10-45, with higher scores representing more frequent monitoring. The mean was 29.3 (sd = 7.0). Eight of the twelve outcomes had significant associations with perceived parental monitoring (all in a direction indicating a protective effect). Of these eight, five retained significance in age-adjusted models were ever causing a pregnancy, discussing pregnancy prevention, safer sex, and condom use with sex partners, and using a condom during the last act of penile-vaginal sex. Monitoring by a parent figure may be partly protective against conceiving a pregnancy for Black males 15-23 years of age.