Teens Are Waiting Longer to Have Sex

When it comes to teens and sex, the news is generally rife with scary stories that shatter parents’ nerves. From sex parties to sex bracelets to oral sex instead of a goodnight kiss, we are bombarded with tales about teens and their sexual adventures — and misadventures.

Amid sensational stories of hook-ups, though, is a piece of good news: Reports reveal that fewer teens are having sex nowadays — and when they do have sex, they are more likely to use contraception and practice safer-sex measures.

Recent statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that the number of teenage girls who have had intercourse has decreased since 1995, and the number of teen pregnancies has decreased as well. Additionally, the majority of those teens who are having sex are using contraception (about 60 percent, as compared with 47 percent of teens who reported similar contraceptive use in 1995).

What can explain this trend? I think much of it has to do with the comprehensive sex education and expanded information teens have received about sex in the past decade. Parents and teachers are giving teens the information they need to protect themselves and make smarter decisions, and not only does this encourage them to use contraception, it also empowers them to ask questions, express concerns, and even delay sex.

While it’s great to finally get some good news about teens and sexuality, it’s important that we continue to talk to teenagers about sex and make their sex education a priority.

Parents needlessly worry that talking to teens about sex will encourage them to engage in it. However, the opposite is true! The conversations need to begin at an early age, and they need to be repeated over the years as adolescents grow up and face new challenges. You can always couch the information within the parameter of your own religious and spiritual beliefs, as well as your moral compass (such as, “I want you to wait to have sex until you are married, but I want you to have all the information you need to protect yourself”).

Remember, ignorance is never bliss when it comes to making smart sexual decisions, so give your teens the information they need to make healthy choices when it comes to sex.