The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that, among U.S. high school students surveyed in 2009, 46% had sexual intercourse, which puts them at risk for pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Nearly half of the 19 million new reports of STDs each year are among young people aged 15–24 years. Clearly if almost 10 million youths are
Read moreThere are few parents that relish the idea of their teen beginning to date. However, there are actually a lot of benefits to your teenagers experiencing the give and take of a relationship. No one can “learn” how to be a good partner – it’s more “on the job” training. Dating helps young people learn to get along with others,
Read moreTexting is a favorite pastime of the current generation of teenagers. Although it can be a great way of staying in touch with family and friends, it does have pitfalls. One of the problems arising from texting is something called “sexting.” Sexting is sending sexually explicit messages or photos via cell phone or instant messenger. Many teens are engaging in
Read moreAlmost everyone agrees that teens should receive some sort of sexual education. The problem lies in who should do the teaching, when, and what information they should share. Because there’s such confusion on what the right message is, and because there’s awkwardness around discussing sex, many parents would prefer to just leave the sex education up to their child’s school.
Read moreAmerica is one of the greatest nations in the world and is a leader in many areas. Unfortunately, we are also leading in teen sexual activity. Although U.S. teen pregnancy rates have fallen to their lowest levels in decades, American teen girls aged 15-19 still become pregnant at a rate far higher than their counterparts in any other industrialized country.
Read moreDating is a rite of passage for adolescents. Despite the many worries it causes parents – curfews and sexual intimacy just to name a few – the experience for teens of developing relationships with the opposite sex while still under the watchful eye of their parents is a healthy one. Parents should view dating as just another opportunity to mold
Read moreMost parents have heard that they need to talk to their teens about sex despite the awkwardness, but what constitutes “the talk” varies widely from family to family. One mother may feel she’s covered the sex subject by explaining the physical process of becoming pregnant to her teen, while another mother might believe that asking her teen if he or
Read moreThe United States has the highest teen pregnancy rate in the industrialized world. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that one-third of girls get pregnant before the age of 20. There is much debate about whether teaching abstinence or contraceptive practices are more effective, but regardless of your opinion on this issue, it is absolutely crucial that adults
Read moreOh, no… “the talk”. I don’t think there’s an adult around that feels really excited to discuss the “birds and bees” with a child. But our children need us to be responsible adults and teach them so that they can grow and act responsibly too. Here are a few myths often sited by parents about “the sex talk”: 1. Kids
Read moreIt’s no news to say that young people have exchanged sexually suggestive messages to one another for generations. What is new is the technology available to do it. Have you heard of the trend in sexting? Sexting is sending sexually explicit messages or photos via cell phone or instant messenger. The problem lies with how quickly our technology can propagate
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