Guiding kids through the labyrinth of sexuality in the 90s and beyond isn t a one-shot deal. It s a long-term project that begins when your children are very young and extends through their teen years and beyond. Like many long endeavors, however, the rewards are great. Kids may not admit it, but they need lots of help learning to navigate their sex drive. Don t let embarrassment prevent you from helping your child make the tough sexual decisions of adolescence and beyond.
Some parents fear that discussing sex is tantamount to condoning it.
That just isn t so. There is no evidence, even after hundreds of studies of the issue, that talking about sex makes kids want to go out and experiment. In fact, studies show that when parents talk about sex, children are more likely to talk about it themselves, to delay their first sexual experiences, and to protect themselves against pregnancy and disease when they do have sex. Research suggests that teens who felt closely connected to their families were less likely to have sex at an early age or to engage in other risky behaviors than were those who felt more distant from their families. As Cynda Ann Johnson, MD, MBA, Professor of Family Medicine and Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, tells parents, This stuff is everywhere.