This thesis examined adolescent children's perceptions of caregivers' safe-sex messages in the larger context of their families' patterned communication. It was posited that caregivers from families that value open conversation are more likely to communicate safe-sex messages; children in families that value conformity are more likely to perceive caregivers' safe-sex strategies as effective and favorable; and children with high-conformity message sources are more likely to comply with caregivers' messages. Several research questions about different types of messages were also posed and the sources (e.g., adoptive mothers) and recipients (e.g., sons) were considered to examine the impact of biological sex on message outcomes. Participants were 13- to 18-year-olds that completed an online questionnaire. Results indicated that caregivers that communicated safe-sex messages were more likely to be high in conversation orientation, suggesting that caregivers who value open communication are more likely to initiate safe-sex talks. Although the predicted relationship between conformity orientation and message outcomes was not found, (a) participants who received messages from high-conversation, compared to low-conversation, sources reported higher intentions to comply with caregivers' safe-sex messages and (b) participants with pluralistic (i.e., high conversation, low conformity) message sources reported higher response efficacy scores than participants with protective (i.e., low conversation, high conformity) sources. Respondents' reports of response efficacy and attitude regarding caregivers' messages predicted their intentions to comply. Message content and biological sexes of interactants were not associated with differences in outcomes.
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