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Straight Talk About Sex
Giving Your Child the Facts About Sex
By Tara Swords
National surveys suggest the drop in the teen pregnancy rate can be attributed to both an increase in abstinence and contraception use among teenagers. However, the Guttmacher Institute has suggested that about 80 percent of the decrease is due to increased – and correct – contraception use, leaving "just say no" advocates to claim the remaining 20 percent of the good news.
Though the situation appears to be improving, placing the teen pregnancy rate in proper context reveals a reality that still leaves much to be desired. Sex is rare among very young teens, but quite common in later adolescence. And the harsh truth remains: The United States has a teen pregnancy rate twice that of England, Wales or Canada and nine times as high as the Netherlands or Japan.
The reality is that most teens will have sex. In fact, it's estimated that only one in five children will not have sex while in their teens. And a sexually-active teen who does not use contraception has a startling 90 percent chance of becoming pregnant within one year. Given this information, parents are being encouraged to arm their children with facts, so that whatever a teen's decision, it will be an informed one.
Tackling this issue with your child isn't an easy thing to do, and the fear of creating an uncomfortable situation can close the lines of communication. Talking With Kids About Tough Issues has compiled a set of guidelines to help parents ease into an honest dialogue about sex, encouraging parents to talk with their kids openly, honestly and frequently.
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation and Children Now, the following tips can help you talk with your child about sex:
