How to be comfortable talking about sex teens

Talking with your maturing children about sex gives you the opportunity to teach them how to make responsible decisions about their own sexual activity. Studies show that teenagers who talk with their parents about sex are more likely to postpone sexual activity and to use contraception when they do begin. The main reason you should talk to your child about sex is that sex is an intimate subject involving family values, feelings and communication. No one is in a better position than you are to help your child make wise choices in this personal area. Even if you have never before spoken with your preteen or teen about sex, it's not too late to begin. If your child does not ask questions, then you should initiate conversations about sex.

Nearly half of adolescents 45 percent reported that they were not routinely asked about sex by their primary care providers PCPs and only 13 percent were offered sexually transmitted infection STI screening, according to results of a new survey being presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies PAS Meeting. The survey also found that 90 percent of parents reported that they talk to their adolescents about sex but only 39 percent of adolescents reported the same. The objective of the survey was to assess the rate at which adolescents discuss sex with their parents and PCPs and the frequency at which they receive screening for STIs. In this study, adolescents, aged , and parents of adolescents attending the Minnesota State Fair were surveyed. Parents were queried about their knowledge of discussions had by their child's PCP as well as discussions they personally have had with their adolescent about sex.

Parents who believe their teens are getting information about sexual health from their pediatricians may be surprised to learn that a new study finds that less than a third of teens report having conversations with their doctors about sex. The same study found that the majority of adolescents and parents considered health care provider discussions about puberty, sexually transmitted diseases, HIV and birth control to be important, according to the report published in Pediatrics. Parents may be able help get the ball rolling by directly telling the pediatrician that they support conversations about sexual health with their teen, Santelli said. To take a closer look at how many pediatricians were talking to their teen and pre-teen patients about sexual health and to learn about parent and adolescent attitudes about such conversations, the researchers surveyed parent-child pairs.

But your teen probably has questions and needs your guidance. By talking to your teen, they will learn about your values on sex and relationships. With accurate information, your teen will have the tools needed to make the best decisions possible. Here are 10 topics to help get the discussion started. Many teens and young adults believe that a relationship means you are always with the other person.