Parental Resistance as a Barrier to Effective Sex Education among Adolescents in Pakistan

Purpose: In Pakistan, discussions surrounding sexuality remain culturally sensitive, often resulting in parental resistance to sex education. Limited parent–child communication about sexuality consequently restricts adolescents’ reproductive health knowledge and their adoption of safe sexual practices. This study aimed to examine the associations between parental resistance to sex education, parent–child communication quality, adolescents’ reproductive health knowledge, and adolescents’ adoption of safe sexual practices.Methods: Quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted in District Peshawar, Pakistan. Data were collected using four newly developed Likert-type scales administered to both parents and adolescents. The final sample comprised ۷۱۳ parents and ۹۴۱ adolescents. Data analysis involved IBM SPSS and Structural Equation Modelling through AMOS.Results: The findings revealed that parental resistance to sex education was significantly associated with poorer parent–child communication about sexuality (β = ۰.۷۸, p < .۰۰۱), lower levels of adolescents’ reproductive health knowledge (β = ۰.۶۱, p < .۰۰۱), and reduced adoption of safe sexual practices (β = ۰.۶۶, p < .۰۰۱). Mediation analysis showed that parent–child communication quality significantly mediated the relationship between parental resistance and adolescents’ reproductive health knowledge (β = ۰.۴۲, p < .۰۰۱), as well as the relationship between parental resistance and the adoption of safe sexual practices (β = ۰.۵۲, p < .۰۰۱).Conclusions: The study concludes that parental resistance to sex education undermines effective parent–child communication about sexuality, which in turn negatively affects adolescents’ reproductive health knowledge and their engagement in safe sexual behaviours.

کلیدواژه ها:

sexual education ، parent-child communication ، Reproductive Health ، safe sexual practices