to build trust for future talks. Talk about what sex is and what behaviors put teens at risk for pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Set a reassuring tone so your teen will feel comfortable and safe coming back to you to talk about things. It's important for teens to know their parents will still love and support them no matter what decisions they make about sex. Leave judgments at the door. Key points to cover include STDs (explain what they are), condoms and birth control options. Abstinence should also be part of the conversation. Read up on all the subjects before you talk about them. More information than ever is available online and in books. Make sure teens know they can still get an STD through behaviors such as oral sex, even if they don't have sexual intercourse. If your teen has a question and you're not sure how to answer it, tell him or her you'll find out and will talk the next day about it. Make sure you follow through. Don't assume your teen is heterosexual. It may become apparent he or she isn't. If you're absolutely not comfortable talking to your teen about sex, find another adult who is, or ask your pediatrician or adolescent doctor for help. Turn to resources for help. Some useful books to guide conversations include The Teenage Body, or Our Bodies, Ourselves . You can also go to the teen section of the AAP's Web site, healthychildren.org .