Trust - that's a big one: intimate partnership values among urban Latino youth.

Romantic relationships play a central role in young people's social development and sexual health. This paper examines romantic relationship ideals valued by urban Latino youth in San Francisco and their experiences in achieving their ideals in their current relationship. We draw on in-depth interviews with 33 young men and women aged 16-22 years in San Francisco, California. In spite of, or perhaps related to, the prevailing perception that their peers were unfaithful in their relationships, young people in this study identified trust as one of the most important characteristics of a romantic relationship. Trust was related not only to fidelity, but also vulnerability and emotional intimacy. Understanding valued relationship ideals and factors that facilitate and impede their attainment is critical in promoting healthy relationships.