Most parents don’t talk to their pre-teens or teens about sex because . . .

 

They think they don’t know enough. They think their son or daughter won’t listen or isn’t ready. They know what their son or daughter is doing “all the time”. They think that if they tell their pre-teen or teen NOT to have sex, they WILL have sex.

But the problem is that . . .

Many young people engage in sexual risk behaviors that can result in unintended health and life changing outcomes. A 2009 survey of US high school teenagers indicated the following: 

• 46% had never had sexual intercourse
• 34% had had sexual intercourse during the previous 3 months, and, of these
• 39% did not use a condom the last time they had sex
• 77% did not use birth control pills or Depo-Provera to prevent pregnancy the last time they had sex
• 14% had had sex with four or more people during their life

Sexual risk behaviors place adolescents at risk for HIV infection, other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and unintended pregnancy:

• An estimated 8,300 young people aged 13–24 years in the 40 states reporting to CDC had HIV infection in 20092
• Nearly half of the 19 million new STDs each year are among young people aged 15–24 years
• More than 400,000 teen girls aged 15–19 years gave birth in 2009

Parent, you are a vital part of the solution.

9 out of 10 teens (94%) think that adults should let teens know they should wait to have sex at least until they get out of high school.

Nearly 9 out of 10 (88%) teens say it would be easier to avoid early sexual activity and teen pregnancy if they were able to have more open, honest conversations about these topics with their parents.

6 out of 10 (59%) teens say their parents are their role models of healthy, responsible relationships.

This is the bottom line: your voice counts.

Your pre-teens and teens want you to talk to them about sex. They want you to help them develop healthy relationships and make good choices. They want you to help them to think smart!

Check out these amazing resources for more tips on how to help your teens make smart decisions about sex:

Statistics taken from www.cdc.gov and www.4parents.gov.

ThinkSmart Resources for Parents of Teenagers:

Flyer for Parents: Talk to your teen about abstinence until marriage

ThinkSmart Info: All about our Health Education programs

Summer Safety for Parents of Teenagers

For more information on talking with your teens and pre-teens, visit: