How willing are adults to discuss sexual health information with teens? Are teens willing to discuss sexual health information with adults?

The purpose of this study was to assess parents' and teens’ views on talking about sex and birth control, their level of comfort in discussing these topics, and perceptions of others.  A dual sampling approach of landlines and cell phones resulted in 988 adults from two counties completing The South Carolina Survey of Public Opinion on Pregnancy Prevention. Results of this study found that more parents than non-parents agreed that community members openly discuss with their teens/pre-teens about waiting to have sex.  This result was also found with condoms or other birth control methods.  More teen females than males communicated with adults to discuss sex or birth control and mothers were most likely to be sought out.  Over half of the teens indicated that they had talked to another adult about sex or birth control and the person most likely sought out was an adult friend.  Most parents agreed that they talk openly with their teens/pre-teens about waiting to have sex as well as using condoms or other birth control methods.  Similarly, most parents reported they felt very comfortable talking to teens about sex or condoms or other birth control methods with women and African-Americans reporting greater comfort.  Additionally, teens indicated that they felt very comfortable talking with their parents about sex, with no differences by race or gender. These results may indicate that teens are interested in seeking sexual health information from parents, including adult friends. Informed adults willingness to engage in these topics with teens is vitally important.