The Family as Protective Factor against Sexual Risk-Taking Behavior of Filipino Adolescents

Maria Paz N. Marquez, University of the Philippines

The study examines the association between family factors and sexual risk-taking behavior among Filipino adolescents. The family factors considered include family connectedness, parental permissiveness and parent-child communication. Risky sexual behaviors refer to sexual activities that increase the risk of contracting AIDS and other STDs. This includes commercial sex, sex with the same gender, sex with multiple partners, casual sex and unprotected sex. Each of these sexual practices is analyzed individually in addition to a composite index that measures the extent of sexual risk-taking. The sample is comprised of 16,651 Filipinos in the ages 15-24 drawn from the 2002 Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality Survey. Data indicate that adolescent males engage in risky sexual behaviors at higher rates than females, and this is consistent in each of the sexual practices. Regression analyses reveal differences in the mechanisms by which the family influences sexual risk-taking behaviors of Filipino adolescents.