Our Young People and Sex
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in the United States more than 19 million STD infections occur annually. Half of them are contracted by youth ages 15 to 24 (CDC 2003). Facts such as those are startling and should be taken very seriously. The most important thing to remember is to talk to your child when they are young. Teaching your child to wait until they are married to have sex is one of the most important factors in preventing pre-marital sex. When you talk to your child, incorporate the benefits of a loving relationship, peer pressure and making healthy choices. Teach them how to value themselves and build self-esteem. Finally, let your child know that they are important to you and that they can talk to you about anything. 
Getting a child to talk to you maybe harder than anything you have ever tried to do. Whether you think they are listening 5, 10 or 100 percent of the time, remember that something is better than nothing because when you least expect your child can surprise you and make the right decision. Teaching your child how to refuse the pressures of sexual activity can be the most important things you teach him or her. Let your child know that you understand peer pressure and how strong it can be. Then help your teen think through and plan what he or she would do in a tough and/or uncomfortable situation. The final not to take with you is…you are the first influence in your child’s life and that takes top priority over anything else.
Getting a child to talk to you maybe harder than anything you have ever tried to do. Whether you think they are listening 5, 10 or 100 percent of the time, remember that something is better than nothing because when you least expect your child can surprise you and make the right decision. Teaching your child how to refuse the pressures of sexual activity can be the most important things you teach him or her. Let your child know that you understand peer pressure and how strong it can be. Then help your teen think through and plan what he or she would do in a tough and/or uncomfortable situation. The final not to take with you is…you are the first influence in your child’s life and that takes top priority over anything else.
Unplanned pregnancy among young adults is at one of the most important public and social issues challenging the world today. Even the sound of the words “teen pregnancy” can be frightening to any parent. Teen pregnancy can be very tough on the entire family; emotionally and physically. As a parent do you think that the words “teen pregnancy” applies to your teen? If you answered “no”, then you are wrong. As a parent, sometimes being naïve seems to be easy and convenient for everyone. But the truth is that as a parent, you have can have a critical impact on your child and how they navigate through difficult and complicated waters of being a teen. Whether you know it, your teen may or may not have already contemplated thoughts about sex and even pregnancy. You may not know their thoughts about sex, but for them to know the truth and the consequences of having sex and becoming a teen parent they must know your thoughts. Have you ever wondered what your teen is wishing you’d say to them or if they actually want to have the so called talk with you? As a parent you must ask a question in order to get an answer. Sometimes fear of getting in trouble will keep your teen from communicating with you, but don’t let that happen in your household. Get inside the mind of your teen by starting the conversation and make things clear to your teen about the topics of sex, love, relationships, pregnancy and values, even if they act like they don’t want to hear it.As a parent you can play a major role in whether or not their teen will have sex. A few ways to prevent your teen from being a statistic of teen pregnancy, you must teach them to save sex for marriage. You must also teach them that aside from the risk of being a teen parent, they have a high risk of contracting STD’s because of unprotected sex, dropping out of school and living in poverty.
For more ways to talk to your teen about abstinence, sex and teen pregnancy please contact your local G-RAP office at 229-567-9066.
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