The answer here is talk to your children. It's that simple. Chances are they will listen. Half of all teens report that they trust their parents for reliable, accurate information about sex, abstinence, and birth control. ¹

Talk about everything from the time they are young. Teenagers who have strong emotional attachments to their parents are much less likely to become sexually active at an early age. ²

Instill your values and morals into your children; it will help them make wise decisions. Teenage girls who have never had intercourse state that they are choosing to abstain from sex because having sex would be against their religious or moral values. ³

Begin talking to them early, and talk to them often. If you think your child is too young to have a discussion about sex and abstinence, you're probably wrong. One third of girls have had sex by age 16, and two thirds of teen boys and girls are sexually active by age 18. ⁴

Remember what it's like to be a teenager. You were there once, too. They are going through tremendous changes. Changes in their bodies, their interests, their lives. Approach them about important subjects like sex respectfully, as you would like to be approached. Being a force of influence doesn't require you to be forceful.

Your teen probably wants to talk to you about the subject. Seventy percent of teens have said that they were ready to listen to things parents thought they were not ready to hear. ⁵ But don't wait for your teen to come to you. Be proactive, approach your teen, and start the conversation.

Open communication is the key to a healthy relationship with your teen and key to helping them make the right decisions about their lives. When asked about the reasons why teenage girls have babies, 78 percent of Caucasian and 70 percent of African-American teenagers reported that lack of communication between a girl and her parents is often a contributing factor. ⁶

1. Princeton Survey Research Associates for the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. (1996, June). The 1996 Kaiser Family Foundation Survey on Teens and Sex: What Teens Today Say They Need to Know, and Who They Listen To. Menlo Park, CA: Author.
2. Blum, R.W., & Rinehart, P.M. (1997). Reducing the Risk: Connection That Make a Difference in the Lives of Youth. Minneapolis, MN: Division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Health, University of Minnesota.
3. National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. (2004).
4. Moore, K.A., Driscoll, A.K., & Lindberg, L.D. (1998). A Statistical Portrait of Adolescent Sex, Contraception, and Childbearing. Washington, DC: The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy.
5. Princeton Survey Research Associates for the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. (1996, June). The 1996 Kaiser Family Foundation Survey on Teens and Sex: What Teens Today Say They Need to Know, and Who They Listen To. Menlo Park, CA: Author.
6. Princeton Survey Research Associates for the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. (1996, September). " A Review of Public Opinion About Teen Pregnancy." Washington, DC: Author.