Sex Partner Type and Condom Use in African American Adolescent Mothers: A Literature Review

PROBLEM: Teen mothers may need mental health counseling that goes beyond addressing the parenting stressors of motherhood to include those related to sexual risk decision-making. Sexual risk behaviors of adolescent girls are influenced by partner type. Coparent, "baby's daddy" partner types may exert unique psychosocial influences on their sexual risk decisions and, thus, their risk for human immunodeficiency virus infection. METHODS: A review of literature was conducted to identify, critique, and summarize the research on partner-type influences on the sexual risk decisionmaking of African American adolescent mothers. Extensive searches of PubMed, CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and CRISP were conducted. Data displays were constructed to compare constructs across studies. Both the strengths and limitations of these studies are highlighted. FINDINGS: Most studies on partner types and sexual behavior are quantitative, and few target adolescent mothers. Only four studies were identified that focused on sexual partner influences on condom use in African American adolescent mothers, with only one examining the coparent as a partner type. No published studies were identified that examined adolescent mothers' reasons for making partner-specific sexual risk decisions or choices made in regard to having sex with their "babies' daddies." CONCLUSION: The state of the science is inadequate regarding partner-type influences on the sexual risk decisions of African American adolescent mothers. Further research is vital for mental healthcare providers so that the depth and complexity of partner-related influences on sexual risk decisions can be appropriately