PDF《Talking with Your Teens about Sex:》

s OK to say you'

re feeling uncomfortable or that you don'

t have all the answers. Avoid overreacting. When your teen shares personal information with you, keep in mind that he or she may be asking for your input or wants to know how you feel. Let your teen know that you value his or her opinion, even if it is different from yours. Provide opportunities for conversations between your teen and health care professionals. By taking your teen to regular, preventive care appointments and allowing time alone with the provider, you create opportunities for your teen to talk confidentially with doctors or nurses about health issues that may be of concern, including HIV, STDs, and pregnancy. Be prepared to suggest that you step out of the room for a moment to allow for this special time, as not all health care providers will feel comfortable asking you to leave the room.

3 What topics should parents discuss with their teens? It'

s important that your conversations with your teen not focus just on the consequences of risky sexual behaviors. Many teens receive these messages in health education class or elsewhere. As a parent, you have the opportunity to have discussions with your teen about other related topics. You can ?Talk about healthy, respectful relationships. ?Communicate your own expectations for your teen about relationships and sex. ?Provide factual information about ways to prevent HIV, STDs, and pregnancy (e.g., abstinence, condoms and contraception, and HIV/STD testing). ?Focus on the benefits of protecting oneself from HIV, STDs, and pregnancy. ?Provide information about where your teen can speak with a provider and receive sexual health services, such as HIV/STD testing. How can parents improve their communication skills? Various organizations have developed programs to help build parents'

skills and improve parent-adolescent communication. These skill-building programs may be implemented in schools, health clinics, community-based settings, and even places where parents work (see Table

1 for selected examples). Parents, educators, health care providers, community- based staff, and employers can work together to promote positive communication between parents and adolescents about sex. Where can parents get more information? Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Positive Parenting Practices www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/protective/positiveparenting/index.htm Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Teen Pregnancy: Parent and Guardian Resources www.cdc.gov/teenpregnancy/parents.htm Office of Adolescent Health. Talking with Teens. Teens and Parents Talking www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/resources-and-publications/info/parents/get-started/quiz.html Advocates for Youth. Parent-child communication: Promoting sexually healthy youth www.advocatesforyouth.org/the-facts-parent-child-communication The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. Parent-adolescent communication about sex in Latino families: a guide for practitioners https://thenationalcampaign.org/resource/parent-adolescent-communication-about- sex-latino-families U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Healthfinder.gov. Talk to Your Kids about Sex www.healthfinder.gov/HealthTopics/Category/parenting/healthy-communication-and- relationships/talk-to-your-kids-about-sex

4 Table 1. Selecteda Programs for Parents to Improve Parent-Adolescent Communication about Sex What is the program called? Which parenting practices are addressed? Who has participated? Where has the program been implemented? Parents Matter http://npin.cdc.gov/ parentsmatter/ ? Ge........