Teen Health Teen Sexuality

Study: Parents Do Make a Difference in Teen Sex Practices

Many teens say that their parents' influence is important in decisions they make about sex, according to a recent survey of teen and adult attitudes released by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. When asked which forces most influenced them in sexual decision-making, teens were more likely to say parents (38 percent) than friends (32 percent).

But having an influence is only half the battle; being a good influence is a further challenge. The first step is to understand what your teenagers are going through. Below Dr. Brown of the Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, discusses some of the risk factors involved in teen pregnancy, and how some of these risks can be addressed.

The volatile young teen years
Our pre-teen and younger teen years can be some of the most volatile years of our lives. These younger teenagers live much more in the moment than do older teens or adults, and they don't develop the ability to think as adults until they are fifteen or sixteen. They are generally incapable of making decisions based on knowledge of future consequences, because their brains haven't developed the connections that allow them to think this way. These characteristics of younger teens can be potent and magical, and can also make for a dangerous ride if they are having sex, as they often don't connect sex with the real possibility of having a baby nine months later.

A lot of younger teenagers also believe that they are singularly immune to bad consequences of risky behavior. Kids in their mid-teenage years start getting more freedom from parental control, and start understanding that there are consequences to their actions. But, as the study above suggests, if younger teenagers don't have adequate support, supervision, and communication with parents, they are at a much higher risk for the onset of early sexual activity, with all its consequences.

Male role models
Girls who don't have effective male role models during their early- and mid- teenage years may be vulnerable to the attentions of older men from whom they seek "fathering" as much as they seek romance and intimacy. We know that on average, the fathers of babies born to teen moms are at least four years older than the girls, so most of these men are adults, not teens.

Wanted pregnancy
Some teenage girls get pregnant because they really want to. They want to get pregnant in order to make their partners happy. Some girls believe that babies will give them love and nurturance. And some want to get pregnant because they see other young mothers getting increased attention and what seems to be an increased material benefit that comes with motherhood. These girls tend not to have a real understanding of the implications of parenthood.

Possible solutions
There's a lot we can do to cut down on the risk of teenage pregnancy. Here are a few thoughts:

Identify girls with depression/low self-esteem when they are children or in very early adolescence, and provide them with the attention and care they need.

Ensure that girls have effective male role models, especially if their natural fathers are not active in their lives.

Make sure that all teens are educated in how to avoid unwanted sexual activity.

Make sure all teens know about effective contraception if they do choose to have sex.

Make sure that teens know the risks that are caused by alcohol and drug use and that those teenagers with substance abuse problems are detected and treated.

As parents, we can provide our children with the guidance and tools they need to get through their teenage years in good shape, unencumbered by premature parenthood, or the need for abortions. Clearly, as this recent study indicates, our children are listening to us.