The Impact of Parent-Adolescent Communication on Adolescent Sexual Behavior: A Case Study in the Kwaluseni Community

In Eswatini, both Christianity, the dominant religion, and the prevailing cultural values strongly condemn premarital sex, deeming it immoral and sinful. Chastity is thus highly promoted. In response to this socio-cultural context, a study was conducted to investigate the influence of parent-adolescent communication on adolescent sexual behaviour. This mixed-methods study employed self-administered questionnaires and semi-structured interviews with 120 participants randomly selected. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS version 20.0, while qualitative data were analyzed thematically. The findings revealed that effective parent-adolescent communication on sexual and reproductive health (SRH) significantly reduces adolescent sexual activity and promotes healthier sexual behaviours. However, a significant barrier identified was parental fear that sex education would prematurely initiate sexual activity in their children, leading to low levels of parental involvement in SRH discussions. Furthermore, parents often lacked knowledge regarding appropriate timing and effective communication strategies for addressing sexuality with their adolescents. Moreover, awareness of current, accurate, and high-quality sexual health information among parents was limited. Based on these findings, it is recommended that government agencies and relevant organizations collaborate to develop and implement training programs for parents on SRH issues. These programs should focus on effective communication strategies for both sons and daughters, considering potential gender-specific needs and concerns. Moreover, early initiation of open and honest conversations about sexuality with children, ideally before the onset of puberty, is strongly encouraged.