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When adolescent girls say, "I don't know"
Mary B Short1, Lisa C Mills, Susan L Rosenthal
1University of Houston-Clear Lake, Houston, Texas, USA. shortmb@uhcl.edu
Journal of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology
|July 29, 2006
Summary
Adolescent girls use "I don't know" in sexual health discussions as a placeholder or to reduce commitment to an opinion. Understanding these nuances helps providers create supportive environments for discussing sexual attitudes and behaviors.
Area of Science:
- Adolescent Health
- Sociolinguistics
- Sexual Health Education
Background:
- Understanding adolescent girls' communication patterns is crucial for effective sexual health education.
- The phrase "I don't know" can mask various underlying intentions in discussions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the functions of the phrase "I don't know" used by adolescent girls.
- To analyze how this phrase relates to discussions about sexual attitudes and behaviors.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative analysis of seven focus groups.
- Participants included 23 adolescent girls (mean age 16.4 years) from an urban primary care clinic.
Main Results:
- "I don't know" served as a placeholder.
- "I don't know" indicated a lack of commitment to an opinion.
- "I don't know" signaled a reduction in commitment to an opinion or belief.
Conclusions:
- Adolescent girls employ "I don't know" with varied implications during sexual health conversations.
- Identifying the intent behind "I don't know" can inform provider responses.
- Creating safe, nonjudgmental spaces is essential for girls to express sexual health opinions.
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