Some 750,000 teens become pregnant each year, meaning that as the next hour passes, approximately 86 teenagers will become pregnant. Teenage pregnancy affects a number of people in different ways, not just the teens themselves, and as we continue to hear reports regarding teen pregnancy, we should all commit to working together to find ways to keep those numbers down.
Parents having to be informed and willing to discuss pregnancy prevention with their children can be tough. However, parent-child communication about sex can be a great resource. According to Advocates for Youth, “Research shows that young people who spoke with their parents about condoms and contraception before they became sexually active were more likely to use protection when they did become sexually active.” With the growth in technology use and being able to reach more people via the Internet, if parents do not share the information, there are millions of others who could. Whether the information is correct and reliable is the question. Advice to parents is to be an “askable” and approachable parent, use the correct terminology, have and use factual information from reliable resources, and think about your own feelings and values about love and sex.
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Additional suggested tips from Advocates for Youth for parent-child communication are to:
- Reassure your children they can talk to you about anything.
- Take advantage of teachable moments. A friend’s pregnancy, news article or a TV show can help start a conversation.
- Listen more than you talk. Think about what you’re being asked. Confirm with your child that what you heard is in fact what he or she meant to ask.
- Answer questions simply and directly. Give factual, honest, short and simple answers.
- Teach your children ways to make good decisions about sex and coach them on how to get out of risky situations.
- Discuss that at times your teen may feel more comfortable talking with someone other than you. Together, think of other trusted adults with whom they can talk.
By communicating appropriately and providing contraceptive information, parents, prevention programs and professionals can send the right messages. If everyone does their part, hopefully the next time you read a similar publication, the number of 86 pregnancies an hour will be reduced.
Visit advocatesforyouth.org for additional information and resources on parent-child communication.
Salome Seraphin is a senior at the College of Charleston who works with the South Carolina Contraceptive Access Campaign as one of Charleston’s youth activists. She is trained to work with and help educate teens and young adults about where to obtain sexual and reproductive health services, such as contraception to prevent pregnancy, STI/HIV testing, emergency contraception and sexual assault counseling.
