The research is clear—young people who feel connected to family are more likely to avoid risky behaviors in adolescence. As a parent, you are the primary educator of your children. You communicate your attitudes and beliefs in verbal and nonverbal ways. You share your feelings about sexuality in actions and words. There are many things you can do to help your children develop into sexually healthy adults. Teach very young children the appropriate words for parts of the body. As they grow older, answer their questions honestly and be willing to answer their questions about relationships, puberty, and intimacy. Model mutually respectful relationships. Talk with your young people about sexuality and character. Help them understand your values and stress the importance values play in your life. Remember that developing a self-identity is an important task of adolescence, and youth may at times feel uncomfortable talking to their parents about their thoughts and feelings, especially about sexuality. Work with them to identify other adults with whom they can talk comfortably.

1. Educate yourself and be willing, even when uncomfortable, to talk with your children about sexuality, relationships, love, and commitment.
2. Discuss explicitly with preadolescents and teens the value of delaying sexual initiation and the importance of love and intimacy as well as of safer sex and protecting their health.
3. Encourage strong decision-making skills by providing youth with age-appropriate opportunities to make decisions and to experience the consequences of those decisions.  Allow young people to make mistakes and encourage them to learn from those mistakes.
4. Encourage teens to create a resource list of organizations to which they can turn for assistance with sexual health and other issues. Work together to find books and Web sites that offer accurate information.
5. Encourage your faith community to offer a sexuality education program for young people.
6. Actively support comprehensive sexuality education in the schools. Find out what is being taught about sexuality, who is teaching it, and what your teens think about it.
7. Actively voice your concerns if the sexuality education being taught in local public schools is biased, discriminatory, or inaccurate, has religious content, or promotes a particular creed or denomination.
8. Encourage your teens to see health care providers for reproductive and sexual health care and make condoms available in your home for older teens. 
9. Support the development and operation of school- and community-based adolescent health centers.
10. Request an education program on parent-child communication about sexuality from your employer, faith community, and/or local PTA.
11. Demonstrate unconditional love and respect for your children.