Background:
Research suggests that youths from two-parent families are less likely to be sexually active and engaging in risky sexual behavior than teens living in other family structures (OFS).

Objective:
To explore the reasons for condom use and non-use among sexually active teens from two-parent versus OFS.

Method:
Adolescents (15 to 18 years old) participated in individual qualitative interviews that assessed their sexual education, relationship concepts, sexual history and suggestions for creating an ideal sex education program. Demographic and theme-based data from the interview are used in the current study.

Result:
The sample consisted of 31 urban youths (20 females, 11 males; average age = 16.26; SD = 0.86; 54% Hispanic, 36% Black, 19% Mixed Race, 16% Caucasian). Nine adolescents lived within two-parent families, 22 reported living in OFS. More than 75% of the OFS youths reported ever being sexually active, compared with 50% who live in a two-parent family. Teens living in two-parent families were more likely to report condom use for their sexual debut (100% vs. 76%) and were less likely to report ever having sex without a condom (50% vs. 71%). Themes concerning reasons for condom use among participants from each family structure group were very similar, including partner's lack of birth control and preventing STDs or pregnancy. Themes associated with reasons for condom non-use differed between the groups. Among the sexually experienced OFS teens, trusting their partner and habit (including never using condoms) were reasons often reported. The same reasons were not reported by participants living in two-parent families.

Conclusion:
Teens from OFS families were more likely to engage in sex without condoms and have different reasons for non-use than teens from two-parent families.

Implications:
Further examination of family structure and associated characteristics' influence on adolescent sexual decision-making may assist in guiding tailored risk reduction interventions.