My three children are years away from their teens but yet I know that soon enough, the sex talk has to happen. Not the biological stuff -- I explained how the reproductive organs worked as soon as they could understand on a basic level.
If a 5-year-old wants to know how his eyes work, why not his penis too, if he's curious (and they are!)?
Talking about the ins and outs of the sexual organs is easy. It's sexuality and actually talking about choices that isn't so carefree.
We want our children to know that we are always there for them and that includes any time they might ever get into trouble via relationships or sexual activity.
But when do we hand them condoms or put them on the Pill? Are we protecting them from "just in case" or are we giving them carte blanche to go ahead to become sexually active?
That's something all parents need to think about.
In the medical world, so much is spoken of in terms of prevention. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, as Ben Franklin said. One excellent way to help prevent pregnancy and disease or infection in teens is the use of condoms -- and their doctors agree.
CNN recently wrote about a statement made by a group of pediatricians in the journal Pediatrics. They wrote:
"Although abstinence of sexual activity is the most effective method for prevention of pregnancy and STIs (sexually transmitted infections), young people should be prepared for the time when they will become sexually active. When used consistently and correctly, male latex condoms reduce the risk of pregnancy and many STIs, including HIV."
While the facts of this statement are common knowledge, a statement like this is not often seen due to the potential for stirring up controversy. In other words, parents could think that doctors are encouraging sex in teenagers.
Teen pregnancies are down. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have stated that the numbers from 2011 are 8 percent lower than 2010 -- a very significant change in just one year. But still, 329,797 babies were born to teenagers ages 15-19 in 2011, a number that is still relatively high.
The increased use of condoms may help lower those numbers as well as lower the numbers of teenagers with sexually transmitted infections and diseases.
According to the CDC, abstinence programs just don't work. To learn more about these statistics click here.
Comprehensive sexual health programs that will promote behaviors to prevent or reduce the risk of pregnancy, HIV, and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) get better results. To see the studies click here.
The doctors who made their statement in the journal Pediatrics are hoping that their colleagues will join then in offering free condoms to their patients and encouraging them to use condoms if considering sexual activity.
They want parents to talk to their children about this subject and also recommend any obstructions be taken away that could prevent teenagers from accessing condoms. They would like to see condoms available in high schools.
The bottom line is that many teenagers will have sex. The odds of whether they'll get pregnant or end up with sexually transmitted diseases are in direct correlation with whether they use birth control, including condoms, that help prevent both pregnancy and infection.
Parents are at the front line when it comes to educating teens about their reproductive health and the choices they make. Teens will indeed make some very serious choices when it comes to their bodies.
Encouraging them to make the right choices can make the difference between a life of poverty and little education as well as some serious diseases, or a future filled with promise. It is all about choices and the support system behind them.
Sources:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Teen Pregnancy. The Importance of Prevention. Web. Retrieved November 10th, 2013.
http://www.cdc.gov/teenpregnancy
CNN.com. Health. The Chart. Web. Retrieved November 10th, 2013.
http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2013/10/28/pediatricians-support-condoms-f...
Reviewed November 14, 2013
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith