- In 2005 the CDC reported that over 46% of teens had had sexual intercourse.
- 6% of teens say they had sexual intercourse before the age of 13.
- 14% of teens say they had sex with four or more people .
- In 2005 among the 33% of sexually active teens, 68% say they used a condom the last time they had intercourse.
- According the the American Social Health Association one in four teens each year contracts and STD/STI.
Most often when teens have sexual intercourse their main concern is preventing teen pregnancy. They give little thought to sexually transmitted diseases. The first step to preventing anything from pregnancy to disease (including those that are not STD's but can be spread through sexual contact) is education. Teaching abstinence is great but along with that serious talk needs to go on about the use of condoms. Sharing the statistics with teens can be a great teaching tool. Talking about STD's in depth can be a great tool as well. You may even want to cover those diseases and viruses that can be spread through sexually contact that are not typically considered STD's.
Along with talk about the physical attributes surrounding sexual activity you may talk to you teen about why teens are not typically emotionally mature enough for such risky behaviors. Teens are going through so many changes within a short span of time that it isn't fair to expect them to have the maturity or wisdom to know how to handle sexual encounters. Learning about the psychological affects of sexual contact during these years can be helpful.
