GOOD NEWS FOR PARENTS WHO WANT THEIR TEENS TO DELAY SEXUAL ACTIVITY.

Talking to teenagers is a tough business. When parents attempt to discuss the topic of sexual purity with their teens, they’re often met with a comatose stare or a fit of rage. ARE THEY EVEN LISTENING?
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Wait! Before you throw in the towel, you should read these survey results (of over 1000 teens) from the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy:

• “Teens continue to say that parents most influence their decisions about sex—more than peers, popular culture, teachers and educators, and others.”

 

•  “Nearly four in 10 teens (38%) say parents most influence their decisions about sex, compared to 22% who cite friends. All other influencers garnished single digit responses from teens.”

 
 

•  “Nearly nine in 10 teens (87%) say that it would be much easier for teens to delay sexual activity and avoid teen pregnancy if they were able to have more open, honest conversations about these topics with their parents.” [1]

 
 
The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy has been annually surveying teens since 2001; and teens continually report that parents are the most influential people when it comes to sexuality. So don’t despair parents. You have the advantage to protect your teens from STDs, heartbreak, unplanned pregnancy, and sexual sin.

Now that you have a boost of confidence, go ahead and talk with your teen. Be wary of providing mixed messages. Mixed messages about chastity are often interpreted by teens as “Mom and dad don’t think chastity is important, so I guess sex is not that big of a deal.”

Take advice from the Add Health Study, which interviewed 90,000 7th-12th grade students. They reported that an important factor for teens to avoid early sexual intercourse was the perception that parents disapproved of teenagers having sex, even with contraception. [2] So be brave and be clear.
If you’re wondering how to start the conversation about the plague of pornography; check out this book for ages 13 and up.

1 https://thenationalcampaign.org/resource/one-voice-2012
2 Meeker, Margaret J. Your Kids at Risk: How Teen Sex Threatens Our Sons and Daughters. Washington, DC: Regnery Pub., 2007. 198-99. Print.

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