It included information on sexual activity among , high schoolers in 40 states. And the proportion of teenagers who say they are sexually experienced appears to grow with each grade. She did not work on the study. Sullivan has been working with teenagers around issues of sex and contraception for decades, and told HuffPost that she hopes the study can start conversations between parents and teenagers, who often find them uncomfortable. But how to do it? What do you think about that?

Take Some Time To Process

MeSH terms
Learn how to put the brakes on underage sex and cope if it happens. So how can parents discuss dating and sex with their sexually active kids in a healthy way? Melistas offers some advice. She adds that parents should discuss the emotional consequences that come along with being sexually active — as well as pregnancy, the risks of STDs, when and where it is appropriate to have sex and the risks of sexting and social media. But it varies based on the kid. Changes in attitude, devoting all their time or becoming obsessed with one person and giving up previously loved activities are all warning signs, too. Follow Metro Parent on Instagram. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. We connect families with the best local resources, advice, stories, things to do with kids and much more. All rights reserved.
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It can be a powerful mix of emotions when you realize your teen is sexually active. You may be concerned about their physical and emotional well-being. Although your reaction is most likely negative, you need to tread carefully to talk with your teen about this. It can turn heated very quickly, and you want to get through to them. The following tips will help you communicate effectively with your sexually active teen. The first step in dealing with a sexually active teen is to take some time to think about it. It's important to process the news and think about how to deal with it.
I think, on some level, we all realize this day is going to happen eventually. So, as a parent, what can you do? Before you talk with your child, take the time to cool down and get some emotional distance from the situation. Indeed, when you first find out, you may be freaking out, and no one does well under those circumstances. You may need to look inward to understand and define your own values before you sit down and discuss them with your child. But they may not be, not even to you, the parent.