Top Three Tips to Talking to your Teen about Sex

For more than a week I have been writing these blog posts and I appreciate this opportunity. However, last week I had the chance to speak with some of you in person and I know this is my real passion! I want to share with you some of the highlights of that talk, so here is a recap. March’s free talk, entitled, Top Three Tips to Talking to your Teen about Sex, honored National Talk to your Kids about Sex Month, which is this month.

I like to begin my talks with some interaction, so we played true or false.

By age 19, 7 in 10 teens have already had intercourse.
The United States has the highest rates of sexually transmitted infections, or STIs, in the industrialized world.
Teenage women often wait 6 to 18 months after initiating intercourse before they see a health care provider for contraception due to fear of pelvic exams.
Teens are primarily looking to their parents for advice on sex and sexuality.

All these are true according to Planned Parenthood. How did you do? Just so you know, no one had to out themselves by raising their hands, but it was fun to share reactions. This sparked some good questions and answers. Maybe you want to share this with a friend and chat about your responses.

Next I invited everyone to reflect on the messages they received as a young person about sex and sexuality. Remember what your mother said to you about sex? Or what she didn’t say? How about your father? What did you wish that you had known then that you now know? What about misunderstandings or misinformation that put you at risk? These are great places for you to begin as you understand better what you want to convey to the young people in your life so they may become healthy sexual beings and have healthy sexual relationships.

So what are those top three tips? See the links below:

I want to invite each of you to join me for a free Tuesday talk. Please enjoy some good information and some good food. Hope to see you soon.