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Can you Talk to Your teen about Abstinence?
By Mother | June 10, 2008
It can be a real challenge to talk to your teen about certain topics - most especially SEX. But no matter how awkward it may seem, make sure to exert some effort into discussing sex and abstinence with your teen. You won’t really lose anything if you try.
In order to talk about abstinence, you need to know the importance of abstinence. This method of birth control is the only method that is 100% effective and also guarantees that your teen does not get exposed to STDs. If your teen chooses to refrain from having sex, than you can ensure his or her physical well being when it comes to sexual situations. You can also almost guarantee that no life-altering situations may come up - for example, unexpected pregnancy.
Very simply put, abstinence means not having sex at all. Note though that choosing to abstain from sexual activities like “fooling around” can be really difficult for a teen. Having a support network, like trusted adults and peers, for your teen will be a great deal of help so that they are not tempted to do what they are not supposed to do.
Parents do not have to wait for their child to be a teen before they can start talking about the human body, relationships and abstinence. The sooner you talk to your child about it, the more comfortable and easier it will be for you both to discuss abstinence. If your child is already a teen, know that it is still never to late to talk to them. Openess and honesty from you and your teen will make discussing this issue easier.
Help your teen understand that abstinence is not only a form of birth control. It is also a life choice that will affect his or her health, future and physical well being from now until they turn into adults.
Topics: General ChitChat |
June 10th, 2008 at 1:43 am
Wonderful post! I’d say the bottom line — whatever particular values and beliefs lead there — is “Abstinence = No Regrets.” Sadly, many parents assume kids understand this without being told, yet what the kids are being told is precisely the opposite (e.g. “Everybody’s doing it”). There is a plethora of material to support the abstinence message (www.pureloveclub.com is one of my favorites), but none of this is as important to our teens as hearing it directly from us. Even if their expressions indicate otherwise