Exploring the Experience of African Immigrant Mothers Providing Reproductive Health Education to Their Daughters Aged 10 to 14 Years

Abstract

Introduction: Adolescents have disproportionate rates of unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections when compared with all other age groups. Mothers are gatekeepers and providers of reproductive health education, which can prevent teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. Reproductive health education provided by African immigrant mothers is influenced by cultural experiences and cultural contexts that are not well understood and have not been studied. This study sought to describe the experience of African mothers living in the United States providing reproductive health education to their daughters aged 10 to 14 years. Method: A qualitative descriptive design was used. Twenty African immigrant mothers were interviewed in a community setting. Qualitative content analysis approach was used for analysis. Results: Three main themes emerged: (1) mothers’ reproductive health education in their country of origin, (2) mothers’ reproductive health communication with their daughters, and (3) changes due to the move to the United States. Discussion: Mothers believed daughters were too young for reproductive health education, leading to conversations with limited content that were frequently triggered by daughters’ exposure to reproductive health education outside the home. Implications: African immigrant mothers may benefit from culturally congruent discussions with health care providers about the reproductive health information they give their daughters.