Parents: What Teens Want You To Know Sex sells. Every day we are bombarded with sex in advertising, TV shows, movies and music videos. It’s everywhere we turn. The media uses sex to attract our attention and to get us excited, but the truth is, it does a lot more than just keep us watching. The average teen will view almost 14,000 sexual references every year. Only 165 of these refer to birth control, self-control, abstinence, pregnancy or STDs.* A recent survey found that less than half of parents of kids age 12-15 have talked with them about making decisions about sex.** The media has become their primary source of sex education. As we have interviewed hundreds of youth across the country, one thing we have constantly heard is that there ARE things kids want their parents to know. A recent survey found that, although nearly all teens say they are influenced by what their friends think, when deciding whether or not to have sex, many say their parents’ influence is even more important.** You can make a difference, but you have to know how. Your kids want to talk to you. * "Sexuality, Contraception, and the Media." American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Public Education. January 2001. ** "Talking With Kids About Tough Issues: A National Survey of Parents and Kids." Kaiser Family Foundation, Children Now and Nickelodeon. March 2001.	d	Tips for Talking to Teens ORDER NOW! Hear, straight from teens, what you really need to know to effectively talk about sex with your teen. Click here for more info about this important video.

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