Why is communication important?

Sexual activity begins early for many teens. Almost four of ten (37%) 9th graders have had intercourse, and nearly seven of ten (66%) have had intercourse by 12th grade. (1) Every year three million teens, or almost a quarter (1 out of 4) of all sexually experienced teens, will contract a sexually transmitted disease (STD). Chlamydia is more common among teens than among older men and women, and teens have higher rates of gonorrhea than men and women aged 20-44. (2) The HIV epidemic in the US is increasingly becoming an epidemic of the young. One fourth of all new HIV infections in the US occur in people under the age of 22, and one half of all new infections occur in people under age 25. (3)

"I want my daughter to be prepared [for sex and puberty]. I was taken by surprise." Parent

In spite of these staggering statistics, many parents are unaware of or in denial about their children's sexual experience. A study of mothers and their adolescent children found that 70% of the mothers believed their sons were virgins, but only 44% of sons actually were (had not yet engaged in sexual intercourse). With daughters, 82% of mothers thought they were virgins, and only 70% of daughters actually were. (4)

Are parents and their kids talking?

Unfortunately, not enough. A survey of pre-adolescents and their parents in a high HIV seroprevalence neighborhood found that parents overestimate how much they talk about HIV. Kids remembered less than one-fourth of HIV discussions parents said occurred. They were most likely to remember talks with the parent that were private. (5) Parents often think they're talking to their kids about AIDS, but may be discussing medical facts and not necessarily sexuality or safer sex. A national survey found that mothers of children aged 11 and older rated themselves "unsatisfactory" on talking about issues such as: how to tell when youth are ready to be sexually active (38%), preventing HIV (40%), sexual orientation (47%) and how to use a condom (73%). (6)

"I think it's sad I can't talk to my mom about it-but it's her loss. I can always go other places. I think that is a lot of the problem, because when you go `other places' sometimes you get the wrong information." Teen