Family Functioning as a Protective Factor for Sexual Risk Behaviors Among Gender Minority Adolescents

Gender minority (GM) youth are more likely to engage in sexual behaviors that increase risk of exposure to sexually transmitted infections, including HIV. However, family functioning may be protective against sexual risk taking. We characterized longitudinal associations between family functioning (family communication and family satisfaction) and sexual risk behaviors across two years in a community sample of 30 GM adolescents, ages 13–17 years. Participants were purposively recruited from community-based venues, through social media, and peer referrals throughout the New England area and completed surveys every 6 months, with measures of family functioning, sexual risk behaviors, risk factors (depressive and anxious symptoms, perceived stress related to parents), and protective factors (social support, gender-related pride, and community connectedness). Results indicated that higher levels of family communication, improved family satisfaction, and increased social support were protective for sexual risk taking, in general, and specifically for condom use for anal/vaginal sex. In contrast, increased depressive symptoms were associated with lower likelihood of anal/vaginal condom use. Associations between family functioning and sexual risk taking were not attenuated by adding risk and protective factors to the model; thus, these factors did not explain the observed associations between family functioning and sexual risk taking. These findings suggest improved family functioning, greater social support, and lower depressive symptoms are associated with reduced sexual risk taking among gender minority youth, thus making these factors an important target for future prevention efforts.