Parent–adolescent communication on sexual and reproductive health: a cross-sectional study at an ethnic minority boarding high school in northern Vietnam in 2025

Background: Evidence on parent–adolescent sexual and reproductive health (SRH) communication is limited for ethnic minority boarding school settings in Vietnam. This study described SRH communication and assessed differences by gender and ethnicity.

Methods: In 2024, we conducted a cross-sectional survey among all 814 students at an ethnic minority boarding high school in Ba Vi district, northern Vietnam. Students self-reported SRH communication frequency with parents (never/rarely/sometimes/often). Group differences were examined using Chi-square/Fisher’s exact tests.

Results: Among 814 students (52.8% female), “never” predominated for topics related to prevention of unplanned pregnancy, as well as for premarital sex and STIs. Puberty communication differed by gender: 32.8% of males vs 23.7% of females reported never discussing puberty changes (p=0.01). For gender-specific topics, 66.9% of males never discussed wet dreams, while 30.5% of females reported often discussing menstrual issues (p<0.001). Females more often reported never discussing multiple sexual partners than males (76.5% vs 69.8%; p=0.048). Communication patterns were broadly similar between Kinh and non-Kinh students. The most common reasons for no SRH communication were “Other” (46.4% males; 49.3% females), difficulty speaking (12.2%; 17.0), shame (10.4%; 12.1), and lack of time (15.9%; 8.1).

Conclusions: In this ethnic minority boarding high school in Ba Vi (northern Vietnam), parent–student SRH communication was limited, particularly for topics relevant to prevention of unplanned pregnancy (e.g., contraception and condom use). Students should receive sufficient, age-appropriate SRH information through strengthened school-based sexuality education and coordinated school–family strategies that support access to accurate pregnancy-prevention guidance for both boys and girls.

 

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