Are
Parents and Teens Talking about Sex?
In
April 2002, Seventeen
Magazine and the Henry J. Kaiser
Family Foundation conducted a nationally representative
survey of 15- to 17-year-old youth in the United States about sexual
health communication
between teens and their parents.(1) The survey provides
a snapshot of teens' views on the subject.
- Fifty-one percent of
teens (61 percent of females; 42 percent of males)
had discussed with their parents "how to know when you are
ready to have sex."
- Forty-three percent
of teens (53 percent of females; 33 percent of males)
had discussed with their parents how to talk to a boyfriend
or girlfriend about sexual health issues, such as pregnancy,
birth control, and STIs.
- Among male teens, 50
percent had discussed condoms, but only 35 percent had
discussed other forms of contraception. Among female
teens, 54 percent had discussed condoms and 63 percent
had discussed other forms of contraception with parents.
Overall, 52 percent of teens had discussed condoms with
their parents; 49 percent had discussed other forms of
contraception.
- Fifty-six percent of
teens (64 percent of females; 48 percent of males) had
discussed HIV/AIDS with their parents. Fifty percent
of teens (56 percent of females; 44 percent of males)
had discussed STIs with parents.
Teens indicate various reasons why
they may not talk to parents about sexual health issues.
- Eight-three percent
of teens worried about their parents' reaction.
- Eighty percent of teens
worried that parents will think they have had sex or
are going to have sex.
- Seventy-eight percent
named embarrassment as a big reason.
- Seventy-seven percent
of teens (83 percent of females; 71 percent of males)
said they didn't know how to bring the subject up.
Survey results dovetail with the findings
of peer-reviewed research into parent-child communication. The survey
hints at two important issues that other research also addresses: parents
discussing condoms with their teens before young
people initiate sexual intercourse and differences in parent-child
communication that shortchange young men.
Parents Discussing Condoms with Teens
A study of 14-
to 17-year-old adolescents and their mothers underscores the importance
of the timing of
parent-child discussions about using condoms. Results showed that talking
about condoms before first
sexual intercourse significantly increases the likelihood of a young person's
using condoms. The study found that maternal discussions about condoms in
the year prior to
first sexual intercourse are strongly associated with teens' using condoms
while such discussions after teens
initiated sexual intercourse are not.(2)
Gender Differences in Parent-Child Communication
Many
studies found that mothers are significantly more
likely than fathers to discuss sexuality with
their
children. In one study, just over 54 percent
of students reported discussing HIV with a parent. Percentages varied
little by race/ethnicity but varied significantly by gender—60 percent
of female teens had discussed HIV with a parent compared to 49 percent
of male teens.(3)
Another study found that mother-daughter discussions are more likely to include
information on sexual health issues than are mother-son discussions.(4)
Father-daughter discussions about sexuality, while relatively infrequent,
still outnumber father-son discussions regarding sexuality.(4)
The result—young boys and young men receive relatively little guidance
and support from their parents in developing the skills they need to
make healthy decisions
about sex. Young men may also be receiving relatively little support
in developing the values that will help them to build loving, responsible,
committed, intimate
relationships in adulthood.
Parents need to understand the critical importance
of discussing sexuality with young people. Discussing
condoms prior to first sexual intercourse doesn't "give
kids permission" to have sex; it gives them permission to behave responsibly.
And, leaving sons out of the conversation doesn't promote their maturity;
it handicaps them.
References:
- _____. Communication:
A Series of National Surveys of Teens about Sex.
Menlo Park, CA: Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, 2002.
- Miller KS
et al. Patterns of condom use among adolescents: the
impact of mother-adolescent communication. Amer
J Public Health 1998;
88:1542-44.
- Holtzman D,
Robinson R. Parent and peer communication effects on
AIDS-related behavior among U.S. high school students. Fam
Plann Perspect 1995;
27:235-40+.
- Nolin MJ,
Petersen KK. Gender differences in parent-child communication
about sexuality: an exploratory study. J
Adolesc Research 1992;
7:59-79.
Click here to return to the Parents' Sex Ed Center home
page.
|
Send this page to a friend