A new study published in the journal Pediatrics suggests repeated discussions with children about sex are more effective than one “big talk.”
Researchers found that teens who talked often with their parents about sex felt closer to their parents and felt more able to communicate with them in general.
“You really don’t need to have a study to show the results because we already knew that that would be the case," said Valerie Huber, executive director of the National Abstinence Education Association. "But it is nice to have empirical evidence that bolsters the value of parent-child communication.”
She said this is a reminder that children are listening to what parents have to say.
“Study after study has shown that teens really want to hear from their parents," she said. "What this study shows is that it’s not enough to have ‘the talk,’ but it has to be a natural part of open conversation between parent and child. And who better to be sex educators of their children than Mom and Dad?”
Dr. Den Trumbull, vice president of the American College of Pediatricians, said there are plenty of opportunities for Christian parents to give their teens a godly view of sex.
“The parent’s going to have to be attentive to opportunities to talk about sex and sexual activity with their adolescent," he said.
