It is the country's biggest health website and gives all the information you need to make choices about your health. Finding out your teen is already having sex can be a shock. You are an important source of support and information for them.
Ask open-ended questions
1. Get Emotional Distance From the Situation
It included information on sexual activity among , high schoolers in 40 states. And the proportion of teenagers who say they are sexually experienced appears to grow with each grade. She did not work on the study. Sullivan has been working with teenagers around issues of sex and contraception for decades, and told HuffPost that she hopes the study can start conversations between parents and teenagers, who often find them uncomfortable. But how to do it? What do you think about that? She hopes that faced with data clearly showing that the majority of American teenagers are sexually active to some degree in high school, parents will recognize that silence on the topic is not an option. Seven of the 10 states with the highest proportion of sexually experienced teenagers are in the South. Yet six of the 10 states with the lowest condom use are in the South. And six of the 10 states with the lowest prescription contraceptive use like the birth control pill and IUD use are also in the South.
Start early
Advice for parents about the signs that your child may be sexually active and how to talk about it from parenting expert Jan Faull, MEd, plus sex education resources for teenagers and parents. Teens date. Sometimes whether you're ready for it or not. And if you're not, what comes next can be downright terrifying:. The signs your son or daughter may be having sex are not hard to spot. But knowing how to handle the situation is anything but easy. If you're afraid your teen is having sex, here's my advice: You cannot leave this situation to chance.
It can be a powerful mix of emotions when you realize your teen is sexually active. You may be concerned about their physical and emotional well-being. Although your reaction is most likely negative, you need to tread carefully to talk with your teen about this. It can turn heated very quickly, and you want to get through to them. The following tips will help you communicate effectively with your sexually active teen. The first step in dealing with a sexually active teen is to take some time to think about it. It's important to process the news and think about how to deal with it. You may be feeling disappointed, scared, and worried for your child.
