Guardians at the gate: examining parental influence on adolescent girls' sexual behaviour in rural Malawi

Parents play a key role in protecting adolescent girls from sexual risk behaviours. This study examined how parent‒child sexuality communication and parental monitoring influence adolescent girls’ sexual relationships and activities in Karonga District, Malawi. Using a mixed-method design, surveys of 166 in-school girls (aged 10–15) and their caregivers were analyzed using SPSS v20.0, while focus groups with 20 out-of-school girls and 11 key informant interviews provided qualitative insights thematically. The results revealed that stronger parent‒child sexual communication (β = −0.12, p = 0.008) and parental monitoring (β = −0.18, p < 0.001) were linked to reduced sexual relationships and activities among adolescent girls. Communication was also affected by the child’s age (β = 0.09, p = 0.007). The qualitative findings support these results, highlighting the importance of parental involvement. This study emphasizes the role of open communication and community awareness in helping early adolescent girls make informed decisions about their sexual health.