It's Let's Talk Month! What advice would u give ur parents abt "The Talk"?

Every October is Let’s Talk Month, an opportunity for parents and teens to talk about making healthy decisions about sex, birth control, and pregnancy. We know talking with your parents about safe sex is an uncomfortable conversation to have, but parents can be super important in helping teens, like yourself, make the best possible decisions.

There’s no need to be nervous about talking with your parents about sex and dating. Parents need to know that they matter and that teens really want to hear advice from them, and teens also want to know what their parents think because parents can be the best sex educators. They’ve been in your shoes before and have a lot of wisdom to offer! But sometimes, they might not know what to say or how to say it and they’ll need a little push from you to get the ball rolling.

Communication Tips:

“Hey mom/dad/grandma/etc, I know you have concerns about me starting to date/having sex, but I want to discuss these issues with you so that we’re all on the same page. I care about my future and want you to trust me to make good decisions and be safe. I love you and I trust you. I want to be able to come to you for advice.”

You can tweak this according to your personal situation and depending on what topic you’d like to discuss with your parents. Below are some tips on different issues:

1. Sexuality/Gender Identity: “Hey mom/dad, do you know what transgender and cisgender mean?” “Have you heard of the term pansexual?”
2. Birth Control: “Do you know all the available options for birth control? Which birth control method is the most effective?”
3. Relationships: “What are some red flags to look for in a relationship and why?” “Were you ever in an unhealthy relationship? What did it look like?” 

It might be that your parents won’t know all of the answers to your questions, and that’s okay! That’s why you’re having this conversation with them, so that the both of you will learn and help each other out. You can also suggest they visit talkwithyourkids.org, a website for parents with helpful resources and tips.