Risky sexual behavior of foreign and native-born women in emerging adulthood: The long reach of mother-daughter relationships in adolescence

•We examine mother-adolescent daughter relationships and young adult sexual behavior.•Differences in risky sexual behavior are apparent across immigrant generations.•A good mother-daughter relationship is associated with less young adult risk taking.•Adolescent relationship quality helps explain sexual risk net of adulthood quality.•Relationship quality does not explain the variation in risky behavior by nativity.

Parents' influence on young adult sexual behavior receives little attention compared to influence on adolescent behavior. Yet effective parenting should have lasting effects. Even fewer studies examine parents' influence on sexual behavior of both foreign and native-born young adults. Using the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) Waves I (1994-95) and III (2001-02), we examine longitudinal associations among mother-daughter relationship quality and nativity during adolescence and young adults' risky sexual behaviors of condom use at last intercourse, number of sexual partners, and STI diagnoses (N = 4460). Women, 18-26 years old, who had good mother-adolescent daughter relationships have fewer partners and STIs in the past year. Second generation women have worse mother-adolescent daughter relationships, compared to third generation. Relationship quality does not explain associations between nativity and risky behavior. Lasting associations between relationship quality and risk behaviors suggest that reproductive health interventions should enhance mother-adolescent relationships.