HookUp tip by Lauren, blog by Leslie
Talking to your parents about sex can be nerve-wracking and embarrassing. If you’ve had that conversation before with them, you know how it can feel. If you haven’t, you’re probably avoiding it at all costs. Simply said, talking to your parents about sex and dating can be an awkward experience. However, there’s really no need to be nervous.
Why talking to your parents is important
Part of developing a healthy relationship with your parents is having honest, open, and trustworthy conversations with them. They probably won’t have the answers to everything you want to know, but they do have a lot of firsthand experience and wisdom to share with you. With so much inaccurate information about sex and relationships out there, having the support and advice of a trusted adult, such as a parent, is much needed and can create a more meaningful relationship with your parents.
How to get the ball rolling…
Sometimes, parents won’t want to initiate the sex talk. This doesn’t mean they don’t care. If anything, they’re probably just as nervous as you are and they’ve realized by now that parenting does not come with its own manual. Oftentimes, it’ll be up to you to initiate the sex talk. If you’d like to slowly and easily initiate a conversation about sex with your parents, you can suggest they visit talkwithyourkids.org, a website for parents with helpful resources and tips.
Remember, parents don't necesarily have all the answers. They might even have some common misunderstandings about sex like you. Hint to them that it’ll be to your mutual benefit for you to find answers together by visiting talkwithyourkids.org or teensource.org. Beforehand, you might also want to think of some key points you’d like to address in your conversation, such as beliefs/values, birth control options, or even personal questions you might have for your parents about their experiences as a teen.
I dropped the ball. Now what?
Recognize that it might take more than one conversation with your parents for you to not only get your questions answered, but also to feel comfortable talking to your parents about sex. Give it some time and be patient.
There is also the possibility that your parents might not want to have that conversation with you, which is ok. If this is the case, you can still get your questions answered by other trusted adults around you, such as school counselors, nurses, aunts/uncles, and/or older siblings.