Parental Communication on Sexual and Reproductive Health in Côte d’Ivoire: An Interpretive Description Study in the Haut-Sassandra Region

In Côte d’Ivoire, parent-child communication (PCC) about sexual and reproductive health (SRH) is often hindered by cultural and social norms. We aimed to explore pa-rental communication on sexual and reproductive health in the Haut-Sassandra re-gion, Côte d’Ivoire. We used an interpretive description approach. Participants were parents (mothers and fathers), recruited through purposive sampling. Data were col-lected through individual interviews. We performed a thematic analysis. Overall, 63 parents participated in the study. The mean age of parents was 41.2. Sexuality remains a taboo subject. Sociocultural factors that hinder PCC are tradition, the need for inter-generational respect, and the fear of incitement. Reasons that explain the gap between intention and actual practice are the young age of the child, low parental self-efficacy, child gender, shame and intergenerational respect. Parents who communicate address the following topics: relationships (e.g. stay away from boys); values, rights, culture and sexuality (e.g. don’t date someone else's husband); skills for health and well-being (e.g. sex has advantages and disadvantages); the human body and development (e.g. menstruation management); sexuality and sexual behaviour (e.g. practice abstinence); and sexual and reproductive health (e.g. protect oneself against disease). This study highlights the need to support parents in their educational role.