Good Sex = Good Communication
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Nancy L. Brown, PhD
Ask any adult woman if communication matters to sex and you will get a clear answer - YES! Ask a teenager, and you are likely to get many different answers.A recent research study by Widman, Welsh, McNulty & Little published in the Journal of Adolescent Health explored communication and contraceptive use in adolescent couples. Their results suggested that open sexual communication is important to contraception, and specifically:
- 30% of the couples did not use contraception during first intercourse;
- Almost 50% of couples did not use contraception every time they had sex;
- Open sexual communication meant more contraceptive use; and
- Teens who reported being more satisfied with their relationship reported more open sexual communication.
So, the take home message is - teens who talk about sex are happier in their relationships and more likely to use contraception - translating to parents as follows:
- Talk to your teens about sex and protection;
- Clearly state your expectation that before they have sex they need to be able to talk about sex with their partner - about protecting themselves from HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases and deciding on a reliable method of birth control to protect themselves against unwanted pregnancy; and
- make sure they know where to obtain condoms and birth control.
Photo credit: japanamanda
Tags:
Labels: Sexuality
2 Comments:
At Tue Feb 13, 10:50:00 AM 2007,
Kim said…
Thank goodness I had three kids who were willing to come to me with issues and with whom I had open communication about sex topics or otherwise.
We don't like to think about young people being sexually active, but it is a reality and it's good to let them know they can talk to you (the parents) and get the information they need.
Once again, your post is right on target.
At Tue Feb 20, 04:48:00 PM 2007,
Anonymous said…
Why are we in the United States so uptight to talk to the youth early on about sexuality, puberty and such. We can even have the schools do this but we must allow all the freedom to really talk about STDs - let them see what it is really like - for them to be aware ( not to frighten them) of what damage it can do and does do to many.
I also feel strongly that our kids learn about diversity - cultural, religious, sexual, and other while they are young ... to learn how to be tolerant and respectful of other people. It is a step in the right direction for all of us...many young adults today can't see past their own feelings so they are not the ones to teach and show tolerance and respect of one self and others.
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