Teen Pregnancy Rates Up: Is Abstinence or Birth Control The Answer?

I'll be straight-up- I'm a teen. I have sex.
My school was so biased with the Sex Ed, the class was a huge joke. I remember the teacher saying something about abstinence being the only 100% protective way, and I got sent outside for saying that God might come into your room and impregnate you with christ.
My point is, no one liked the class. BIASED. He wouldn't discuss birth control or condoms with us. I had to learn about that stuff on my own.
To lower the rates of pregnancy, I'd say make pills and condoms more available. When I started B.C., it was super hard to get because the clinic was SO far away, and then they started my appointment three hours late. If it wasn't free to get, I'd just have unprotected sex.
Teens will do what they do. It's true: Teens hormones are stronger than their desire to please their parents. Biologically, teen years are the beginning years to start reproducing. Things like that.
If they educated us better and helped us get the resources we need, maybe my peers and I wouldn't be at risk so often.

I am appalled by the lack of good sex education. Teenagers have sex, they "disturb and they are not protecting themselves. If we can not learn at home or at school where we had to learn? How could we know that STDs are transmitted every way possible and you can get an STD through oral? And yeah, baby. These sweets occur. Last year, when the secret life of American teenagers" started, I must say that I was so angry, I feel like glorified teen pregnancy. While showing it on television, just give it a face, giving him attention, he said:Its cool. Education is sorely lacking in this country in countless ways, but in my opinion, lack of sex education is one of our greatest negative impact.
thanks
Pregnancy week by week

Teen pregnancy is on the rise because thanks to the media, kids are learning about sex younger and younger and starting to do it younger and younger.  If you listen to music lyrics these days, they're mostly about hooking up and none of it's about using protection against diseases OR pregnancy.

Unfortunately, a lot of people attempt to blackmail their kids with morals that their kids don't share with them in order to stop them from having sex.  All that "Nobody will take you home to meet their parents" or "Nobody will marry you" doesn't work anymore as a deterrent.

The best thing parents can do is have a good & honest relationship with their kids and then inform them of the dangers of having sex and HOPE for the desired outcome or at least that their kids will trust them enough to come to them when something goes wrong.

~ Bill ( http://billcammack.com/ )
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WOW! I'm sorry, I can't believe you are arguing on the internet; for a moment there I thought I was reading the comments on YouTube. I think the point of this post and the questions presented to us is to find out what our opinion is not to try to convince someone else that we are right. It's an opinion and everyone is entitled to one. 

I technically was a "teen" mom, but I was 19 and it was just before my 20th birthday. I was in a stable relationship, or one that appeared to be stable, and had been on birth control when I got pregnant. I began having sex at 15. I grew up in a religious family and although the "lines of communication" were open with my parents, especially about drugs  and alcohol, which I think is the sole reason I was not obsessed with getting involved in that (and have never even smoked pot, might I add), we didn't talk about sex and relationships very much. Honestly I think it was partly because I had not been "into" boys, didn't have time for them, and I lost my virginity to my first boyfriend. I don't think my parents saw it coming. Actually, they found out because my best friend, my boyfriend's ex-girlfriend that set us up, had heard from someone on the football team that we had sex and then her mom overheard us talking about it on the phone. Her mom called my mom and so on and so forth. 

Do I regret it? I wouldn't say that necessarily. Could I have made a better choice? Maybe. Did that turn me in to a sex-crazed teenager? No.

My husband waited until his first marriage to have sex, he was 20, she was 28. The intimate relationship in his first marriage was so bad that he didn’t really realize that there was much more to it. He had several partners after his divorce and prior to our marriage. I have still had a significant number of partners more than he has and we contribute my experience as one of the main reasons we have such a wonderful intimate relationship now.

When I was a freshman in high school, I was certified through the Red Cross’s STAY program, Students Teaching Aids to Youth. The course was hosted at my school, after hours of course, and I had to have my parent’s permission. We didn’t just learn about AIDS but all STD’s as well. We took that information, went to area high schools and spoke to students about AIDS and STD’s. The feedback from students that we talked to was outstanding. Many of them would come up to us afterwards and thank us for telling them about all the risks. I don’t think that the Red Cross has this program any longer and it is a shame. 

My opinion is that we need to get our heads out of the sand. This is real and it is happening everywhere. Some teenagers ARE going to have sex regardless of what they know or are told. There should be sex EDUCATION, not someone telling everyone what to do. I also think that in some cases abstinence-only programs work but those cases are few and far between and on the flip side are creating other problems because “messing around” and oral sex are “okay” because it’s not actual intercourse. Well, you can’t get pregnant from these acts but you sure as heck can get other things! Abstinence-only programs are fine as long as they are presented with other sex education programs, and no I’m not talking about watching a video in gym class. Do I want my daughter to be able to go to the school nurse and get birth control or the morning after pill, I don’t know yet; it’s more my concern with medications than anything. Would I like for her to have access to condoms? Absolutely; same for my son. There is no reason they should be ashamed of it.

I personally hope and don’t believe that this is going to be an issue for my family because I believe in taking an active approach in talking with my kids about EVERYTHING; I also plan to put my girls on birth control not because of the fear of pregnancy but because of this history of female problems in my family history. 

And no, I’m not sorry this is so long! ;)

I recently read about a study in which some teens took an abstinence class that did not include anything related to religion or the like, but had them look at the pros and cons of not having sex until they got married.  Other teens took a sex ed class (that included info on birth control), and another class had neither.  The teens who took the abstinence class ending up having less sex than the others, and stuck to their guns more than what research tells us about teens who take abstinence classes that include religion in some way. 

I say give teens comprehensive sex ed classes that include a non-religious discussion of abstinence as an option. Like we see with birth control education, if you give teens information, it empowers to make better decisions for themselves.

Laura    Families of Two       www.lauracarroll.com ( http://www.lauracarroll.com/ )

Add in the fact that the domestic newborn adoption situation in our country is pretty much in turmoil with unethical practices right now and we have to ask ourselves if subjecting our teens to such a system is healthy for that mom or a new baby. Difficult all around.

@FireMom ( http://twitter.com ) from Stop, Drop and Blog ( http://stopdropandblog.com ) and The Chronicles of Munchkin Land ( http://thechroniclesofmunchkinland.com )

One of the major factors that's always left out of the abstienance only "virginity is sacred" conversation is the fact that many girls and boys for that matter, are sexually abused before they have the opportunity to make their own decisions about their bodies. The last statistic I heard was 1 out of 4 women have been sexually abused, so what then? So there's all this emphasis placed on something that many kids don't even know the meaning of.

I work a lot with girls of all ages, some of whom have regular lives while others have been abused or sex trafficked and I think one of the most important conversations is teaching them what value and worth actually means, how to make choices and responsibility. I think kids also need to know that sex is about mind, body and spirit, which is often left out as well. So you if you're really going to talk about sex, you have to talk about it from every angle so they get the full picture. So while many kids may be physically ready to do it, mentally and emotionally many of them have yet to develop the tools needed to handle such a serious decision. I remember when I was growing up the extent of my sex talk with my mom was "if you get pregnant, don't come home." The end. She denies saying that to me to this day, but I was 15 and a hormonal wreck at the time so I remember it quite clearly. But that one statement taught me something very important, if I make a decision I better be in a position to take care of it myself and a lot of teens don't do that. I definitely don't advocate parents taking this approach with their kids, but they do need to let kids know if they decide to have a baby that they will be the ones to be responsible. Too many parents these days are taking on the babies while the kid still gets to be a kid and I think that sends the wrong message. If you're making adult decisions you have to be able to handle adult consequences. There are other alternatives to keeping a baby like abortion or adoption, but even those choices don't change the fact that kids have to be ready to make those decisions.

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i cant agree with you more just couldnt of said it better.

I realize that those things went on; I'm not totally naive. ;) The point I was making is that teen pregnancy is MUCH more prevelant now because instant gratification (whether it be from sex or any number of other things) is something that seems to be regarded as some sort of "right" in today's society.  Teen pregnancy is glorified in a lot of ways today, whereas it used to be taboo. 

I just think we need to give our teens more credit, and teach them to give themselves more credit, than "THE HORMONES ARE TAKING CONTROL!  MUST BUY CONDOMS IN BULK AND GIVE BIRTH CONTROL TO 12 YEAR OLDS  BECAUSE THEY'RE CHANGING PARTNERS LIKE SOCKS AND THEY'RE GOING TO DO IT NO MATTER WHAT".  There is great value in learning the virtue of patience, the virtue of self control, and the virtue of, well, virtue itself.

Thank you for clarifying.  We're totally on the same page here. You're right; I should have stopped at just "values" period.  Good point.

Re: My daughter getting pregnant as a teen (Heaven forbid).  I only meant that my children know they can always come to me, always talk to me, that my love in unconditional.  I do NOT condone sex outside of marriage and I will make that VERY clear.  In my work with women and girls in crisis pregnancy situations I have many times encountered girls from families who have either tried to force them to have abortions or cast them out because of the pregnancy or both.  That is something I would never do, which is all I meant when I said I would support her. 

I totally agree with you that it is the responsibility of the parents to know what is going on with their children, and if I ever suspect in the future that my children are sexually active or about to become so, I will nip it in the bud very quickly, you can believe me.  But my goal is to never be in that situation in the first place because of the values/morals we are instilling in them now, at ages 3 and ten months.  Admittedly, my ten month old isn't faced with many moral dilemmas yet, but hey.  It's never too early, right?

but I do agree with you

"Teen pregnancies were very rare because children/teens were taught the value of waiting for their spouse"

I am quoting you but I wish you had stopped at the word value - see my grouse is that children then were taught values. Period. Now all children seem to learn - I am not even saying that they are being taught - is instant self-gratification and short cuts to that.

I am appalled at even my friends saying that "it is all hormones''. These are people who share my belief that sex is not just sex - it is an expression of commitment to someone you want to share your life with. Sex doesn't begin and end with the size of the organ or the orgasm but do our children hear this. I dont understand you when you say you would support your daughter if she gets pregnant at 16 - what I am trying to understand is that whether you are saying you would teach her values and then leave the decision to her whether to follow them or not? The whole point is being a parent is to not only give the lesson but make sure it is learnt because when life teaches the lesson , it is much harsher than what methods or ways you would use to teach.

It is really sad if you daughter has to come to you and say she is pregnant - it is your responsibility as a parent to know if she is being sexually active. I don't care really if it violates her privacy at 16 but as long as she is not an adult, she is yours to take care and that includes keeping track of her cycles if you have to!!!!!! Maybe I am old fashioned but since when has old fashioned been wrong? Values have been the same since the Ten Commandments......................

Wait!  Are you serious??  "There were almost NO (compared to now) teen pregnancies in my grandma's or even my mother's generation."  Really?  Are you SURE?  :-) 

There may SEEM to have been less pregnancies in those eras, but honestly, if you ask around you'd be surprised to find out how many people know of pregnancies that were well-hidden.   I'm 47 and there were plenty of girls in my mom's HS graduating class of 1954 who had babies!  Oh, I even know two wonderful "upstanding" ladies in their 80's now - one who hid her pregnancy at a Convent and the other who fudged her wedding date to hide their "oops" pregnancy!  LOL

Many years ago, when a young girl found herself "in a state" (aka "with child"), perhaps a shotgun wedding would be rustled up, rather quickly.  Or, perhaps... "young Susie" would spend the "summer abroad", when in fact, Susie had been sent to a faraway Convent to give birth to a child that she was forced to give up for adoption... a closed adoption at that.  No record of the birth is ever carried forward with Susie and the family simply does not speak of it.  And, Susie re-appears at the end of a "summer abroad", looking trim and back to her old svelte self.

Or, as in the case of one of my relatives, the young girl goes "away" for the summer and surprise! there's a new sibling in the family!  Mommy, who never looked pregnant at all, suddenly has a new baby. 

Young people had sex back then.  And, young girls became pregnant, too.  But, Polite Society had a way of dealing with situations in such a way as to preserve a facade of honor.

And, I wholeheartedly agree... teaching our children about sex (and love, and marriage, and life, etc.) should be a PARENT's responsibility.  :-)

Please help me understand what you're getting at here.  I'm sorry, maybe I'm just tired, but I can't tell if you're agreeing with me or picking my stance apart. Did I infer that there were no hormones before 1980?  If so, forgive me, because that isn't what I meant.  What I meant to point out was that there is an attitude that "they'll just do it anyway" among many adults and I don't think that's the right message to send to our kids.  When we look at past generations we see that this isn't the case.  Teen pregnancies were very rare because children/teens were taught the value of waiting for their spouse, not how to use a condom or get an abortion without parental consent.  The hormones haven't changed, but society certainly has.  Teen pregnancy is almost glorified in the media - celebrity after celebrity gets pregnant young and out of wedlock, there's that show on MTV called "Teen Moms"; it's glamorized now where as twenty, thirty years ago it was taboo.  I think it's wrong to assume that teenagers are a bunch of hypersexualized beings who cannot control their urges and so we must teach them that they can have several different sex partners if they do it "safely".  We may be teaching them to guard the safety of their bodies (kind of) but what about the safety of their hearts?  That's the point I was making. 

I would absolutely agree that there is a high cost - physical, emotional, spiritual, and financial - of teen pregnancy.  This is why I will be teaching my children to abstain, to "save themselves", as it were, for the people they'll eventually marry.  I believe that one's virginity is a special gift for one's spouse.  Once given, it cannot be taken back and so it should not be treated lightly.  Some people in this day and age may roll their eyes at me, but I think virginity is a sacred thing, a gift from God.

I was 25 when my first child was born.  I was (am) married, very financially stable, and had the support of a great mom and it was STILL tough.  I couldn't IMAGINE doing that as a teenager. However, if my daughter comes to me whe she's 16 with a positive pregnancy test, I will certainly be disappointed, but I will support her and be her biggest and loudest champion.  I would hope, though, that what she will learn from me and her daddy will prevent that from happening.  I believe it will.

I have also volunteered my time, education, and money to organizations dedicated to assisting moms, teens or otherwise, who are in a crisis situation and need help.  It's an issue that is very near and dear to my heart.

All that said, I realize that there are parents out there who disagree with me, and parents out there who don't teach their children anything about sex, values, etc.  So I think sexual education is a reasonable part of a high school education.  For my part though, my children will be taught the values and beliefs my husband and I hold, and they will attend a private school that reinforces those values.

So often people get stuck on the word 'sex' when really it's just a symptom of underlying problems.  Whether it's sex or drugs or other high risk behaviours the common factor is a lack of self -espect and self-esteem.  No matter what a child encounters in life if they are raised in an atmosphere where they learn to love themselves and percieve themselves as valuble; if a child is confident and supported the risk of these behaviours is dramatically reduced.  Again if a child is raised with self-worth theya re also more likely to transfer this to others and treat them with respect also.  Yes drugs are more readily avaliable and we are exposed to sex and sexual innuendo at earlier ages than ever before.  This is but one part of the problem.  This should not be framed as a religious issue (as it frequently is), or socioeconomic or race.  We need to teach both boys (it's not just a female problem) and girls that they have worth, that they need to act in a way to respect themselves, for themselves not for others (family, church etc).  We need to educate our children about sex (and other behaviours), we need to teach them about choice.  We need to teach consequences, in a world where responsibility is frequently given over to 'others', we need to allow them to retake responsibility for their own actions.  Just say no doesn't work for drugs, and it doesn't work for sex.  If you are a parent you cannot be your child's friend.  Part of your responsibility is to guide your child, to love them, teach them right from wrong and equip them for life when you are not around.   As a parent I know this is damn hard.  But as a professional I've seen the consequences of raising a child with no concept of self-worth.  Teen pregnancy is an issue for girls AND boys, parents and the community at large.  Okay thats a bit rambly thanks to my tired brain but you get the idea.

Michelle

http://bobisdysautonomia.blogspot.com/

The whole world is talking as if there were no hormones at all before 1980 and no teenagers. People were born old and born responsible.

For the people who have been teenage parents - is this really what you wanted? I don't understand. Even as an adult mom I have a lot of problems second guessing myself about parenting. Don't you? The choices I make - how are they affecting my kids? As someone who was incredibly selfish - in hindsight - even an adult is no certainity of being a better parent.

Please look at yourself and what teenage pregnancies cost you - did u ever stop to think that your children deserved more? More than what teenage parents could give them? Or did u ever stop to think you too deserve more and better...................

Very well said! 

I am the mother of two teenage boys. I have taught my boys about birth control and their responsibilities. I have also told them that they are too young and need to understand friendships before they dive into a more mature relationship. I do not like this fall back on hormones. Teens always had hormones. They are not more intense today then when I or anyone else was a teen. So I think that there needs to be a look at society that encourages teen pregnancies. How society makes being an unwed mother sexy and fun. Look at all the celebrities having children and being unwed. Everyone forgets to tell our children about how these same celebrities have alot of money to hire the right support and give these children everything that they will need once they are born. Noone emphasises the responsibilities of parenthood to today's teenagers. Noone emphasizes the responsibility associated with sex either.  I taught an ethics class and almost without exception their reaction to an unwanted pregancy was abortion ( I am not discussing the politics of abortion) They were never taught the ramifications, the realities of what an abortion does to your body nor the emotional effects that this procedure can have. It was seen as no big deal, like having a wart removed. I think the reason there is a rise in teenage pregancies  is because there is too much emphasis on doing what you want because it feels good without having to pay the consequences of your actions.  It is not a birth control issue or an abstenance issue. It is a teaching responsibility,  consequences and the need to make thoughtful decions issue. And yes, teens can do this,. They did it for generations before. no reason our children can't do it today.

  Elise http://asd2mom.spaces.live.com

Good thing I indicated that I'm not thirty yet.  Otherwise the "full of baloney" phrase may have made you think I'm 112.  Sheesh.  ;)

I do agree with the commenters who said that parents need to keep the lines of communication open with their kids, make sure the kids know what their values are, know what is right and wrong, know what behaviors are and are not acceptable, and that kind of thing.  I'm with you there.  When my children are old enough (and they ARE getting older, despite my pleas with them to stay toddlers) I will do these things, though the focus of our talks will be the importance of sexual purity until marriage.  I understand that this isn't what works for every family and that's fine, so I do support sex education in schools.  But could you point me to an "abstinence only" program in a public school in the United States?  Because I have never heard of one.  I cannot imagine a school board, or a number of parents for that matter, who would allow that to stand.  Please, correct me if I'm wrong, but the only "abstinence only" cirriculums I've ever seen are the ones I was exposed to in private school and the ones my children will be exposed to in private school.

And, just to play "devil's advocate" here for a minute, the argument could be made that teen pregnancy rates skyrocketed AFTER sex ed programs entered the schools.  There were almost NO (compared to now) teen pregnancies in my grandma's or even my mother's generation.  (I'm just shy of 30).   I think we're doing teens a disservice with the message that "they can't help it, so we better help them do it safely".   I think that's a bunch of baloney quite frankly.  Life is all about self control and delayed gratification.  Why should we not teach them that it's doable, OK, and even preferrable to wait? 

I think at the end of the day, kids SHOULD learn about sex from their parents.  I'm realistic enough to understand that things don't always work this way, so I think age appropriate sex ed is fine, though I do feel it should be focused on abstinence if not "abstinence only".  And I guess I'm glad I have the freedom and resources to put my children in a private school where our values will be reinforced.

There can't be a one-size fits all approach.  Some kids will repsond to messages about abstinence, some will only hear contraception.  And some, especially vulnerable and emotionally needy children, will be at risk no matter what they are taught.

It is an enormous social problem that has it's roots at home and needs back up from other authority figures.  Parents needs to talk to thier children about the consequences of unprotected sex in a non-judgemental way.

When my oldest daughter was about 11 a local young couple had a baby at a motel and killed their child.  No one had known about the pregnancy and these were super high achieving kids.  Despite the horrendous act they were guilty of, I could only imagine how desperate and alone they felt.  And that is what I talked to my daughter about.

I told her she would never be abandoned by us if she got pregnant, but we talked about all the repercussions.  Then a friend's teenage daughter got pregnant.  The resulting situation, a teen mother saddled with a difficult baby, was the best object lesson my daughters ever could have had.  They knew they did not want to sacrifice thier teenage years.

But kids live for the second, and instant gratification, so it has to be a constant dialogue.  Some parents don't have the werewithal, desire, interest or common sense to talk to their teens.  And that is where it has to be continuously reinforced.

On a humorous note, my nine year old had been eavesdropping on one of these conversations between my older daughter and I.  She came in the room and solomnly declared "I am not having sex until after I'm married.  And maybe not even then either."

The bottom line is kids need as many tools as they can get to support them in staying safe and preventing unwanted pregnancy. However the most crucial tool they need is the support of the adults in their lives to help them make good choices. 

Marie

www.nourishourselves.blogspot.com ( http://www.nourishourselves.blogspot.com )

www.theshorebookworm.blogspot.com ( http://www.theshorebookworm.blogspot.com )

I was a teen mom myself I learned about sex very young. Thats probably what had me wait as long as i did my mom told me about std's, prgnancy, ways to protect myself and she asked me to wait that she had waited atleast until she was out of school and that there was nothing wrong with that,  I was going to, but the pressures of my peers got to me it wasnt that they actually said anything it was that i was the only "virgin left out of thirty kids of my clique and to remind you i was only 15 scary statistics so i went out in search for the one person that was young good looking and i didnt know him and i didnt know his past but that he knew my friends cause of course when your 15 you dont listen to anyone but your friends.  So its amazing how many people want something that you can never get back.  I waited for a little while i didnt want to do it with anyone one that ever offered or that i even liked cause it didnt feel right i either knew them, knew there past found out about them before i had a chance, or they were to old for my liking at that time it was about 23 was my highest,but all my standards were answered one night.  I was at a party at a close friends drunk that when everything dumb that i ever did happend a guy walked in that i had never met young great looking and everyone knew him but i didnt so was curiouse of why i didnt guess we went to the same parties and did the same things just always missed each other...anyways we started dancing and fooling around he wanted to go further but i still couldnt even though i knew this is who i wanted to do it with i didnt want to be with him i just wanted to use him for my own reasoning so i couldnt be labled any more so eventually 2 weeks later i did. I tried to be just a "friends w/benifits" ya right, well sorry to say i got lucky but at the same time i didnt. We started dating but got pregnant after three months became a teenage mom even though at the time i was on birth controll and it failed, and thats were everything slowed down and changed i grew up now i'm 19 have two kids with him but i know very well what its like to be a teen mom.  Not alot of girls who have done the things that i have or things that are close or even worse are even as close to lucky as i am i have my babies and the love of my life and he just happens to be the only one i have ever slept with. I dont know what is to blame i made the choice not the news and not the schools not the articals ads and movies. we do!! we make them ourselves many adults think that its there fault that they could have done something or said something but we all make our own choices but the thing is the natural human instinct is to blame some one and if we cant we blame ourselves. Thats just my opinion and i know of many girls like that.  I think that if your going to "talk" to your kids than do that but it might not do any good but it might help them know that your trying and that you care about them. i know i knew but it didnt stop what happend but i still wouldnt change it. Were kids and the one thing we try to do from day one is get older. so NO i dont think pro abstinence is the way to go i think if thats what some body wants that for them then ya its a great thing.  But you cant force that towards teenagers they already get tired of people telling them what to do who they can see what they can wear.....ect everything a teenagers life is complicated so they think so when you try downing something there curiouse about it makes them eager not to listen. i think support is the best way to go.

I have to agree with the previous poster--it comes down to education.  I taught middle schoolers and high schoolers for years and the time to have these discussions on action/consequence should start well before kids are becoming sexually active.  It would be wonderful if all parents taught this at home, but I do think that schools need to give basic information that accounts for all possibilities--from abstinence to how to obtain birth control.

Melissa writes Stirrup Queens ( http://stirrup-queens.com ) and Lost and Found ( http://lostandfoundandconnectionsabound.blogspot.c... ). Her book is Navigating the Land of If ( http://thelandofif.blogspot.com/ ).

I am the child of a teenage mother. 

My mom always made it a point to be very clear with me and to honestly answer any questions that I had concerning sex.  She didn't expect me to start asking in the 3rd grade and yes, I made her stumble over her words more than once, but she was always very open and honest with me. 

When I hit 13 my mom began really talking to me about the possibility of my having sex and the possible consequences.  She never told me to wait until I got married.  She never told me to ask a school nurse to talk to me.  She told me to enjoy being young while I was still young.  She told me about how being a teen mother changed her life. 

She made sure that I knew that if I made a mistake, she would help me any way she could.  She let me know that if I got pregnant as a teen, that she would be disappointed in me, but she would always be there for me.  She was my living example.

But I think more importantly, it was that open line of communication and that neverending source of information and education that helped me to be a little cautious in that sort of decision making. 

I think that this big public debate over funding and how to teach our children needs to focus in more on parental responsibility.  Parents should be the ones talking to their kids about this stuff.  Daughter AND sons.  And I think it needs to be more than just the one talk.  It needs to be something that the teens feel comfortable approaching their parents about.  Sex is natural.  Most people do it.  Here's how you can be smart about it.  Feel free to ask me anything. 

Somer blogs at Merry Wife of Canon ( http://www.merrywifeofcanon.com ) as well as Smell My Plate ( http://www.smellmyplate.com ).