Parents, join forces with educators in educating yourself and your children on the topics surrounding Sex, Teenage Pregnancy and Relationships.

What should you do?

1. Be clear about your own sexual values and attitudes.
Communicating with your children about sex, love, and relationships is often more successful when you are certain in your own mind about these issues. To help clarify your attitudes and values, think about the following kinds of questions:
  •  What do you really think about school-aged teenagers being sexually active?
  •  What do you really think about school-aged teenagers even becoming parents?
  •  Who is responsible for setting sexual limits in a relationship and how is that done, realistically?
  •  Were you sexually active as a teenager and how do you feel about that now?
  •  Were you sexually active before you were married?
  •  What do such reflections lead you to say to your own children about these issues?
  •  What do you think about encouraging teenagers to abstain from sex?
  •  What do you think about teenagers using contraception?


2. Talk with your children early and often about sex, and be specific.
Kids have lots of questions about sex, and they often say that the source they'd most like to go to for answers is their parents. Start the conversation, and make sure that it is honest, open, and respectful. If you can't think of how to start the discussion, consider using situations shown on television or in movies as conversation starters. Tell kids candidly and confidently what you think and why you take these positions; if you're not sure about some issues, tell them that, too. Be sure to have a two-way conversation, not a one-way lecture. Ask them what they think and what they know so you can correct misconceptions. Ask what, if anything, worries them.

Age-appropriate conversations about relationships and intimacy should begin early in a child's life and continue through adolescence. Resist the idea that there should be just one conversation about all this - you know, "the talk." The truth is that parents and kids should be talking about sex and love all along. This applies to both sons and daughters and to both mothers and fathers, incidentally. All kids need a lot of communication, guidance, and information about these issues, even if they sometimes don't appear to be interested in what you have to say. And if you have regular conversations, you won't worry so much about making a mistake or saying something not quite right, because you'll always be able to talk again.

Many inexpensive books and videos are available to help with any detailed information you might need, but don't let your lack of technical information make you shy. Kids need as much help in understanding the meaning of sex as they do in understanding how all the body parts work.Tell them about love and sex, and what the difference is. And remember to talk about the reasons that kids find sex interesting and enticing; discussing only the "downside" of unplanned pregnancy and disease misses many of the issues on teenagers' minds.

Here are the kinds of questions kids say they want to discuss:
   •  How do I know if I'm in love?
   •  Will sex bring me closer to my girlfriend/boyfriend?
   •  How will I know when I'm ready to have sex?
   •  Should I wait until marriage?
   •  Will having sex make me popular?
   •  Will it make me more grown-up and open up more adult activities to me?
   •  How do I tell my boyfriend that I don't want to have sex without losing him or hurting his feelings?
   •  How do I manage pressure from my girlfriend to have sex?
   •  How does contraception work?
   •  Are some methods better than others?
   •  Are they safe?
   •  Can you get pregnant the first time?

Don’t be afraid to weigh in on these topics that are affecting Teens across the nation everyday.

For more information, visit TheNationalCampaign.org. (Information provided by TheNatianalCampaign.org.)