Family Communication

CALIFORNIA FAMILIES have never been so pressed for time.
According to a recent survey, most parents and their teens spend less than an hour a day talking to each other. At the same time, teens are receiving information about sex from movies, television, music, magazines and the Internet that give them conflicting messages. From date rape to sexually transmitted diseases, teens’ health and safety have never been more at risk.

STOP!
Make the time to talk with your teen. Take advantage of everyday opportunities or plan an activity for just the two of you—something as simple as watching a video, having lunch together, or taking a ride or walk in the park.

LISTEN!
Be curious. Ask questions about their ideas and feelings. Get to know them and their world. Be ready to hear things you may not agree with.

TALK!
Offer your thoughts and feelings. Express your values. Teens make better decisions about sex when they have all the information they need and when there are no taboos on what they can talk about at home.

Click here for more tips and info on our San Mateo campaign.

What else can you do to help keep teens healthy and safe?

For the health and safety of all teens, we need to ensure that they have access to confidential reproductive health services—that they can go to a doctor or clinic for medical treatment and know that it will be kept confidential.

Good communication between parents and teens is the very best way to keep teens safe. But often when teens are in need of help, they will not go to their parents for advice for fear of disappointing them. And there are teens with no supportive parent to turn to, or who are victims of physical and mental abuse by their parents.

By supporting access to accurate information, you assure that all teens can get the support they need.

Check out our tips and resources for talking with teens about sex.

"Adolescent girls are confronted with numerous challenges, and the decisions they make can have both short- and long-term consequences for their health and well being. A major obstacle to the delivery of health services to teens is their concern for confidentiality."

AMERICAN COLLEGE OF
OBSTETRICIANS AND GYNECOLOGISTS