Have the talk early and often
Analyzing the data, the scholars determined that, in that year, 40 percent of the boys and 46 percent of the girls had had sexual intercourse before their parents had ever given them advice on how to ask someone out on a date. More than 40 percent of the teens had had sex before having a single conversation with their parents about condom use, birth-control options, or sexually transmitted diseases.
From Newsweek‘s Nurtureshock blog post Parents Wait Too Late to Talk to Kids About Sex.
One girl I went to school with got pregnant and gave birth at 13. Another at 14. Another at 16. I have cousins who got pregnant and gave birth at 15, 16 and 17. I know boys who lost their virginity at 11, 12 and 13. Believe me when I say that The (Sex) Talk — particularly the values-based, emotional component — needs to be an ongoing conversation starting before puberty sets in and kids start getting extra curious. Three cheers for my mom letting me read Cosmo and Sassy as a teenager; she surely didn’t talk to me about sex.
My sister was asking me about sex as early as 7. I remember my mother was so angry with me when I explained to Leslie why Madonna's dad was so angry with her in Papa Don't Preach. But what was I gonna do? The girl asked. Age appropriate truth, that's always what I've, er, preached. It worked out well I think.
My sister was asking me about sex as early as 7. I remember my mother was so angry with me when I explained to Leslie why Madonna's dad was so angry with her in Papa Don't Preach. But what was I gonna do? The girl asked. Age appropriate truth, that's always what I've, er, preached. It worked out well I think.