(from the applicant?s abstract): Adolescents are at high risk for AIDS, and therefore it is important to identify factors that may prevent them from contracting HIV. Individual and familial factors that may serve to protect adolescents from HIV/AIDS include adolescents? perceived vulnerability to HIV/AIDS; adolescents? attitudes about premarital sex and safer sex behaviors; adolescents? intentions to avoid risky sexual activities; adolescent autonomy; mothers? attitudes about premarital sex; and maternal warmth and control during conversations about AIDS and sex. Eighty late adolescents and their mothers will engage in 7-minute discussions about AIDS and sexuality; these conversations will be coded for maternal warmth and control. In addition, participants will complete a series of questionnaires that address individual characteristics such as attitudes and beliefs, and autonomy development. It is expected that adolescents? sexual attitudes will be predicted by adolescents? perceived vulnerability to HIV/AIDS, adolescent autonomy development, mothers? attitudes about premarital sex, and the warmth and control displayed by mothers during the AIDS and sex conversations, and that adolescents? sexual behaviors will be predicted by these variables as well as by their sexual attitudes. In addition, it is expected that the association between mothers? attitudes and adolescents? sexual behaviors will be moderated by the communicative behaviors exhibited by the mothers, and that the relation between adolescent autonomy and sexual behaviors will be moderated by mothers? warmth and control. This research has important implications for future AIDS prevention programs for adolescents.
