Talking to Your Teen About Sex

Even in today's more open and liberal society, in general, most teens are uncomfortable to ask their parents about sex. This is why you as a parent don't want to wait for them to make the first move. A lot of teens are getting their so called sex education from movies, tv's and their friends. Unfortunately, a lot of the information they get from these sources is wrong. That is why it's important for parents to step in and properly inform your teen about sex. Research shows that teens who talk about sex with their parents are more likely to put sex off and use birth control when they do decide to have it. You need to equip your teen with knowledge about HIV/Aids as well as other sexually transmitted diseases, peer pressure to have sex and unintended pregnancies. Here are some ways to go about talking to your teen about sex.

Share Your Values

Don't be afraid to share your values and opinions with your teen about having sex. If you believe you should wait till a certain time or age in your life to become sexually active then you should let them know. On the other hand, you need to be ready to accept that your teen may not share those same values and may decide to have sex anyway.

Ask Questions

Make sure you ask your teen what they want to know about sex or if they have any questions. If they do, honesty is the best policy. Be as honest as you can when answering. If it's a question you're not quite sure about or don't have the answer to then feel free to admit it. You should work together with your teen to find the answer either in books or at other reliable resources in your community.

Relate to Real Life

When talking to your teen about sex, relate to real life situations that you maybe have seen on the news, in movies or on tv somewhere. It's even better if you can use real life examples of people you both know such as a teen pregnancy with a family member or friend.

Preach Abstinence

Don't forget to preach abstinence and discuss reasons to wait to have sex. Let them know this is a decision they can make even if they have already started having sex.

Reassure Them

You need to reassure your teen that they shouldn't be afraid to talk to you about sex. They need to feel comfortable enough to be able to come to you with questions without feeling like they will be punished. Reassuring them is your way of leaving the lines of communication open.